Ricardo Betancur

Ricardo Betancur is an Associate Professor of Marine Biology at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego. His research focuses on Ichthyology, Evolutionary Biology, and Phylogenomics, with a particular emphasis on understanding the evolutionary processes shaping fish diversity. His work integrates genomic, morphological, and ecological data to explore topics such as adaptive radiation, biogeography, and phylogenetic relationships in marine and freshwater fish species.

Education:

• PhD Biological Sciences, Auburn University (2009)
• M.Sc. Marine Biology, Universidad Nacional de Colombia (2003)
• B.Sc. Marine Biology, Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano (2000)

Research interests include phylogenetic comparative methods, population genetics, and the application of genomics to resolve evolutionary questions in fish lineages. His projects often involve genomic sequencing of diverse fish species, such as sea catfishes and anglerfishes, to uncover patterns of diversification and adaptation. He has contributed significantly to the classification and evolutionary understanding of ariid catfishes and other marine taxa.

His research also addresses the impact of environmental factors, such as ancient climate changes, on fish evolution and distribution. He leads the Fish Phylogeny Research Group and maintains an active website (fishphylogeny.org) dedicated to advancing fish phylogenetics.

Advising and grants: While no student advisees are listed here, Betancur’s lab focuses on training researchers in phylogenomics and evolutionary biology. His grants support large-scale genomic projects and collaborative initiatives in marine biodiversity.

Labs/Teams: He directs the Fish Phylogeny Research Group at Scripps, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to fish systematics and evolutionary genomics.