Thomas C. Jones

Thomas C. Jones serves as a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at East Tennessee State University (ETSU), housed within the School of Science, Engineering, and Math. Based in Brown Hall, Room 307, he is contactable via email (jonestc@etsu.edu) or phone (423-439-6930).

His teaching portfolio includes BIOL 3200 (Evolution and Ecology), BIOL 3610 (Parasite Diversity and Ecology), BIOL 4887/5887 (Arachnology), and BIOL 5600 (Introduction to Biological Research), spanning foundational and specialized topics for undergraduate and graduate students.

Professor Jones maintains a multifaceted research program centered on animal behavior, ecology, population genetics, and neuroethology. Using the northern social spider Anelosimus studiosus as a model, he investigates how cooperation, sociality, and dispersal strategies evolve across environmental gradients. His team combines computer modeling, field/lab experiments, and molecular genetic techniques to dissect selective pressures and mechanisms. Recent expansions explore neurotransmitter impacts on behavior, while parallel work develops interactive simulations for science education pedagogy.

For comprehensive publication records, his Google Scholar profile serves as the primary resource as explicitly referenced in his research statement.