Daniel A. Warner

Daniel A. Warner is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Auburn University, where he leads the Warner Laboratory of Evolutionary Ecology. His research integrates field and laboratory approaches to study evolutionary and ecological processes in reptiles, with a focus on developmental plasticity, maternal effects, and phenotypic selection across life stages.

Education:

• Postdoctoral Research Associate – Iowa State University (2007–2012)
• Ph.D. – University of Sydney (2007)
• M.S. – Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (2001)
• B.S. – Iowa State University (1998)

Dr. Warner's research centers on how environmental variation influences developmental trajectories and fitness outcomes in reptiles. His work explores maternal effects, nest-site selection, temperature-dependent sex determination, and transgenerational influences on offspring phenotypes. Using lizards and turtles as model organisms, he investigates how natural selection shapes life-history strategies.

His publication record over the past 15 years reveals a consistent focus on evolutionary ecology and developmental physiology in reptiles. Key themes include maternal resource allocation, embryonic responses to thermal environments, sex determination mechanisms, and long-term fitness consequences of early-life conditions. His studies often combine experimental manipulations with long-term field data to uncover adaptive significance.

Scientific Contributions:

• First long-term evidence of senescence in wild turtles (PNAS, 2016)
• Discovery of male-mediated transgenerational effects on sex ratios (Scientific Reports, 2013)
• Insights into hormonal induction of male development in TSD turtles (General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2014)
• Quantification of maternal nest-site benefits in lizards (Behavioral Ecology, 2013)

Dr. Warner advises students and mentors researchers in his lab, fostering interdisciplinary training in ecology, evolution, and physiology. His lab combines fieldwork across diverse habitats with controlled laboratory experiments. While specific grant details are not listed, his sustained research output suggests continuous external funding. The Warner Lab maintains affiliations with the Auburn University Museum of Natural History and contributes to regional biodiversity initiatives like the Alabama Herp Atlas.