Dr. Guy Hoelzer
Associate Professor
Organismal and molecular evolution, social behavior, molecular genetics and phylogenetic methods.

Williams College
1978, B.A.
San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
1982, M.S.
University of Arizona
1989, Ph.D.

Current Projects / Research Interests
My primary research interest is the evolution of animal social behavior; however, my interests range from molecular evolution to sexual selection to phylogenetics. I also like to pursue both empirical and theoretical questions in my research. The organisms I have studied also comprise a diverse group, including fishes and primates.

I am currently using the tools of molecular genetics to address the evolution of primate, avian and fish taxa. My recent work has included 1) the reconstruction of macaque phylogeny through analysis of mitochondrial DNA restriction-sites, 2) using DNA fingerprinting to assess the genetic structure of primate populations and determine paternity in wild populations, 3) phylogenetics and phylogeography of avian and fish taxa, and 4) development of new theory and methodology in phylogenetics. My graduate students will generally combine molecular lab work with field work to better understand the evolution or ecology of a group of organisms. I am particularly interested in advising graduate students who want to work in the areas of sexual selection or conservation genetics.

Selected Publications
McCafferty, S., E. Bermingham, B. Quenoville, S. Planes, G. Hoelzer, and K. Asoh. 2002. Historical biogeography and molecular systematics of the Indo-Pacific genus Dascyllus (Teleostei: Pomacentridae). Molecular Ecology 1377-1392.

Arsenault, D. P., P. B. Stacey, and G. A. Hoelzer. 2002. No extra-pair fertilization in flammulated owls despite aggregated nesting. Condor 104: 197-201.Hoelzer, G. 2001. The self-organization of population substructure in biological systems. InterJournal of Genetics Article 345.

Lyons-Weiler, J., and G. A. Hoelzer. 1999. Null model selection, compositional bias, character-state bias and the limits of phylogenetic information. Molecular Biology and Evolution 16: 1400-1405.

Hoelzer, G. A., J. Wallman and D. J. Melnick. 1999. Erratum: The effects of social structure, geographical structure and population size on the evolution of mitochondrial DNA. II. Molecular clocks and the lineage sorting period. Journal of Molecular Evolution 48: 628-629.

Lyons-Weiler, J., G. A. Hoelzer and R. J. Tausch. 1998. Optimal outgroup analysis. Biological Journal of the Linnaean Society 64: 493-511.

Hoelzer, G. A., J. Wallman and D. J. Melnick. 1998. The effects of social structure, geographical structure and population size on the evolution of mitochondrial DNA. II. Molecular clocks and the lineage sorting period. Journal of Molecular Evolution 47: 21-31

Ellsworth, J. A., and G. A. Hoelzer. 1998. Characterization of microsatellite loci in a New World primate, the mantled howler monkey (Alouatta palliata). Molecular Ecology 7: 657-659.

Lyons-Weiler, J. and G. A. Hoelzer. 1997. Escaping from the Felsenstein zone prior to the inference of a phylogenetic tree. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 8: 375-384.

Contact Information
University of Nevada Reno
Biology Department m/s 314
Reno, NV 89557

email Dr. Guy Hoelzer

Office phone
775-784-6188
FAX number
775-784-1302