Dr. Elizabeth Santos
@lizmillermacroevo.bsky.social
Assistant Professor @ The Ohio State University.
Phylogenetics, biogeography, ichthyology, anglerfish toucher.
https://elizabethcmiller.weebly.com/
Phylogenetics, biogeography, ichthyology, anglerfish toucher.
https://elizabethcmiller.weebly.com/
TL/DR: Anyone interested in comparing evolution across fishes should consider deep-benthic and deep-pelagic environments as distinct entities
All images in thread from NOAA Digital Collections @noaacomms.noaa.gov
All images in thread from NOAA Digital Collections @noaacomms.noaa.gov
October 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM
TL/DR: Anyone interested in comparing evolution across fishes should consider deep-benthic and deep-pelagic environments as distinct entities
All images in thread from NOAA Digital Collections @noaacomms.noaa.gov
All images in thread from NOAA Digital Collections @noaacomms.noaa.gov
What's similar: greater emphasis on elongate body shapes vis-a-vis shallow marine settings
What's different: mechanisms of accruing body shape diversity, from evolutionary rates to colonization pathways
What's different: mechanisms of accruing body shape diversity, from evolutionary rates to colonization pathways
October 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM
What's similar: greater emphasis on elongate body shapes vis-a-vis shallow marine settings
What's different: mechanisms of accruing body shape diversity, from evolutionary rates to colonization pathways
What's different: mechanisms of accruing body shape diversity, from evolutionary rates to colonization pathways
Here we use the FishShapes dataset to uncover similarities and differences in body shape diversification across deep-sea fishes from pelagic and benthic habitats
October 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Here we use the FishShapes dataset to uncover similarities and differences in body shape diversification across deep-sea fishes from pelagic and benthic habitats
Deep-sea habitats are diverse and invoke different selection pressures on organisms. This is well known by marine ecologists, but comparative evolutionary biologists are catching up.
October 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Deep-sea habitats are diverse and invoke different selection pressures on organisms. This is well known by marine ecologists, but comparative evolutionary biologists are catching up.
2nd year grad students are no longer eligible to apply. Currently enrolled grad students must be in their first year, whether in a MS, BS-MS, or Ph.D.
September 26, 2025 at 4:44 PM
2nd year grad students are no longer eligible to apply. Currently enrolled grad students must be in their first year, whether in a MS, BS-MS, or Ph.D.
I am recruiting graduate students to begin August 2026. Apply by Nov 15th!
August 21, 2025 at 3:40 PM
I am recruiting graduate students to begin August 2026. Apply by Nov 15th!
Thank you!
August 20, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Thank you!
I'm Liz Santos (neé Miller) and I study macroevolution of fishes, especially from the deep sea. I'm opening a new lab at Ohio State University EEOB and Museum of Biological Diversity
August 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM
I'm Liz Santos (neé Miller) and I study macroevolution of fishes, especially from the deep sea. I'm opening a new lab at Ohio State University EEOB and Museum of Biological Diversity
Arrived at our new home
August 10, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Arrived at our new home
A perfect example of why organismal biology matters! Weird iguana biogeography inspired new phylogenetic markers
#jmih25
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#jmih25
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
July 11, 2025 at 8:28 PM
A perfect example of why organismal biology matters! Weird iguana biogeography inspired new phylogenetic markers
#jmih25
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
#jmih25
www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
My favorite photograph taken at SIO Marine Vertebrate Collection yesterday. Alepisaurus ferox @scrippsocean.bsky.social @frable.bsky.social
July 2, 2025 at 6:10 PM
My favorite photograph taken at SIO Marine Vertebrate Collection yesterday. Alepisaurus ferox @scrippsocean.bsky.social @frable.bsky.social
I am pleased to announce The Macroevolution Lab at Ohio State opens this August! We will be housed in the Museum of Biological Diversity 🐟🐠🐡
April 14, 2025 at 3:38 PM
I am pleased to announce The Macroevolution Lab at Ohio State opens this August! We will be housed in the Museum of Biological Diversity 🐟🐠🐡
Deep sea fish on RuPaul’s Drag Race!! 👀 @rupaulsdragrace.bsky.social #teamfish
February 8, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Deep sea fish on RuPaul’s Drag Race!! 👀 @rupaulsdragrace.bsky.social #teamfish
I adopted a dog this month. His name is Gus and he is very cute
February 8, 2025 at 1:40 AM
I adopted a dog this month. His name is Gus and he is very cute
Merry anglerfishmas! #12daysofanglerfishmas
December 13, 2024 at 3:49 PM
Merry anglerfishmas! #12daysofanglerfishmas
CT scans of Gigantactis are also super cool.. look at those teeth!
December 12, 2024 at 7:24 PM
CT scans of Gigantactis are also super cool.. look at those teeth!
DAY 12 #12daysofanglerfishmas I've saved the best for last...Gigantactis is my *favorite* anglerfish. As the most elongate angler, she was the inspiration to investigate body shape evolution in our recent paper
December 12, 2024 at 6:57 PM
DAY 12 #12daysofanglerfishmas I've saved the best for last...Gigantactis is my *favorite* anglerfish. As the most elongate angler, she was the inspiration to investigate body shape evolution in our recent paper
...but molecular phylogenies show they are totally unrelated! 👀 the best case of convergent evolution ever?
December 11, 2024 at 8:08 PM
...but molecular phylogenies show they are totally unrelated! 👀 the best case of convergent evolution ever?
Today's #12daysofanglerfishmas has a part 2! The other wolftrap angler, Thaumatichthys, is also out here with Lasiognathus in morphospace. We once thought they were each other's closest relative...
December 11, 2024 at 8:08 PM
Today's #12daysofanglerfishmas has a part 2! The other wolftrap angler, Thaumatichthys, is also out here with Lasiognathus in morphospace. We once thought they were each other's closest relative...
Sister genus is Puck, which doesn't have great specimen images
December 11, 2024 at 5:08 PM
Sister genus is Puck, which doesn't have great specimen images
The close relatives of Lasiognathus look like "normal" anglerfish. Meaning all that weirdness evolved as quickly as 8 million years!
December 11, 2024 at 5:08 PM
The close relatives of Lasiognathus look like "normal" anglerfish. Meaning all that weirdness evolved as quickly as 8 million years!
DAY 11 #12daysofanglerfishmas The wolftrap angler Lasiognathus lies on the fringes of morphospace, making it among the weirdest anglers
December 11, 2024 at 5:08 PM
DAY 11 #12daysofanglerfishmas The wolftrap angler Lasiognathus lies on the fringes of morphospace, making it among the weirdest anglers
Neoceratias is another example of the elongated body shape that evolves repeatedly in deep-sea anglerfish
December 10, 2024 at 5:01 PM
Neoceratias is another example of the elongated body shape that evolves repeatedly in deep-sea anglerfish
One of the best kept secrets from @scrippsocean.bsky.social's fish collection. The best Neoceratias specimen I've ever seen!
@frable.bsky.social
@frable.bsky.social
December 10, 2024 at 5:01 PM
One of the best kept secrets from @scrippsocean.bsky.social's fish collection. The best Neoceratias specimen I've ever seen!
@frable.bsky.social
@frable.bsky.social