Simon Scarpetta

Simon Scarpetta is an evolutionary biologist, paleontologist, and herpetologist with a particular appreciation for lizards and salamanders. He received a PhD in Geosciences from The University of Texas at Austin in 2021, and recently finished an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology at UC Berkeley. His research incorporates molecular and paleontological data to determine evolutionary relationships and timescales of the lizards of North America, in the context of climatic changes through geologic time. Current research focuses on phylogenomics and historical biogeography of iguanas, horned lizards, and their relatives, osteology and computed tomography of alligator lizards, and Pleistocene lizard, snake, and frog fossils from Texas and Maryland. Phylogenetics, fossils, molecular biology lab techniques, field biology, and modeling all figure prominently in his research.

At USF, Simon is excited to teach Climate Change, Quantitative Methods, environmental science labs, and Research Methods in the ENVS and MSESM programs. He is passionate about working with and teaching undergraduate students and researchers.

• Phylogenomics
• Morphology
• Computed tomography

• Evolutionary biology
• Vertebrate paleontology
• Herpetology
• Biogeography
• Paleoecology

• The University of Texas at Austin, PhD in Geosciences, 2021
• Stanford University, BS in Biology (Specialization in Ecology and Evolution), 2014

•  
• NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Biology, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley
• Graduate teaching assistant, The University of Texas at Austin
• Senior conservation technician, Stanford University Conservation Program

• Jackson School of Geosciences Best Graduate Paper Award Winner, The University of Texas at Austin, 2021        
• NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology, Rules of Life Program, National Science Foundation, 2021
• Graduate Student Paper Competition Award, Texas Academy of Science, 2019

• Scarpetta SG, Ledesma DT. 2022. A strikingly ornamented fossil alligator lizard (Squamata: Abronia) from the Miocene of California. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, XX, 1–16.
• Scarpetta SG, Ledesma DT, Bell CJ. 2021. A new extinct species of alligator lizard (Squamata: Elgaria) and an expanded perspective on the osteology and phylogeny of Gerrhonotinae. BMC Ecology and Evolution, 21(184), 1–58.
• Scarpetta SG, Ledesma DT, Llauger FO, White BA. 2020. Evolution of North American lizards. eLS 1(4), 705–717. Invited submission. All authors contributed equally to this work.
• Scarpetta SG. 2020. Effects of phylogenetic uncertainty on fossil identification illustrated by a new and enigmatic Eocene iguanian. Scientific Reports 10(1), 1–10.
• Scarpetta SG. 2020. Combined-evidence analyses of ultraconserved elements and morphological data: an empirical example in iguanian lizards. Biology Letters 16(8), 20200356.