Mark Paulissen

Dr. Mark Paulissen is a faculty member at Northeastern State University in the College of Science and Health Professions, Department of Natural Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Oklahoma and conducts research on lizard behavior and ecology, focusing on aggressive behaviors, spatial learning, predator detection, and gut microbiota in reptiles.

His research projects include studies on spatial learning in lizards, predator avoidance mechanisms, territoriality in skinks, ontogenetic components of odor detection, and the effects of urbanization on lizard behavior. He leads the Bioscience Research Facility and was a presenter at the Ninth World Congress of Herpetology in 2020.

Dr. Paulissen mentors graduate and undergraduate students, including Trey Pennington, Cameron Williams, and others, whose work explores behavioral differences in urban vs. natural lizard populations and color preferences in neonate lizards. His recent publications span topics like hybridization, social hierarchies, and invasive species ecology.