Education

• Ph.D. 2005 Fisheries (Ichthyology), University of Minnesota.
• M.A. 1998 Systematics and Ecology (Ichthyology), University of Kansas.
• B.S. 1995 Genetics, University of Kansas.
• B.A. 1995 Slavic Languages and Literature (Russian), University of Kansas.

Research Interests

My research interests focus on the evolutionary relationships, speciation, and biogeography of fish. Fish are fascinating because of their great morphological, physiological and behavioral variation and high diversity, with over 25,000 described species. The goals of my research address two main questions on the evolution of fish: 1) What are the historical processes that have shaped geographical distributions of fish? and 2) What are the patterns of variation of specific character traits within evolutionary lineages of fish? My research involves both active field collection of fish and laboratory work on the collection of molecular and morphological data. My primary focus is on North American freshwater fish although I also have interests in flatfish and East African freshwater fish.

Professional Accomplishments

Berendzen, P. B., T. Gamble, and A. M. Simons. Phylogeography of the bigeye chub, Hybopsis amblops (Teleostei: Cypriniformes): early Pleistocene diversification and post-glacial range expansion. Journal of Fish Biology. In press.

Gamble, T., P. B. Berendzen, B. Shaffer, D. E. Starkey, and A. M. Simons. (2008) Species limits and phylogeography of North American cricket frogs (Acris: Hylidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Vol. 48: 112-125.

Berendzen, P. B., A. M. Simons, R. M. Wood, T. E. Dowling, and C. L. Secor. (2008) Recovering cryptic diversity and ancient drainage patterns in eastern North America: historical biogeography of the Notropis rubellus species group (Teleostei: Cypriniformes).  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Vol. 46: 721-737.

Golubtsov, A. S. and P. B. Berendzen. (2005) A review of the small barbs (Barbus, Cyprinidae) with a serrated dorsal spine from Ethiopia, with a discussion of the origin of forms with a reduced dorsal spine from the White Nile and Omo river tributaries. Journal of Ichthyology Vol. 45, Suppl. 1:S58-S88.

Simons, A. M., P. B. Berendzen, and R. L. Mayden. (2003) Molecular systematics of North American phoxinin genera (Actinopterygii: Cyprinidae) inferred from mitochondrial 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA sequences. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society Vol. 139:63-80.

Berendzen, P. B., A. M. Simons, and R. M. Wood. (2003) Phylogeography of the northern hogsucker, Hypentelium nigricans (Teleostei: Cypriniformes): genetic evidence for the existence of the ancient Teays River. Journal of Biogeography Vol. 30:1139-1152.

Berendzen, P. B. and W. W. Dimmick. (2002) Phylogenetic relationships of Pleuronectiformes based on molecular evidence. Copeia Vol. 2002(3):642-652.

Dimmick, W. W., P. B. Berendzen, and A. S. Golubtsov. (2001) Genetic differentiation of three Barbus (Cyprinidae) morphotypes from the Genale River, Ethiopia. Copeia Vol. 2001(4):1123-1129.

Golubtsov, A. S. and P. B. Berendzen. (1999) Morphological evidence for the occurrence of two electric catfish (Malapterurus) species in the White Nile and Omo-Turkana systems (East Africa). Journal of Fish Biology Vol. 55, 3: 492-505.

Golubtsov, A. S., P. B. Berendzen, and C. A. Annett. (1999) Morphological variation and taxonomic status of Altai osmans, Oreoleuciscus, from the upper reaches of the Ob River system. Journal of Fish Biology Vol. 54, 4: 878–899.

Tang, K. L., P. B. Berendzen, E. O. Wiley, J. F. Morrissey, R. Winterbottom, and G. D. Johnson. (1999) The phylogenetic relationships of the suborder Acanthuroidei (Teleostei: Perciformes) based on molecular and morphological evidence. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution Vol. 11, 3: 415–425.

International Experience In 2006 and 2007 I traveled to Russia to participate in the annual Russian-American Scientific and Practical Conference on Modern Concepts of University Education. I am collaborating on projects with colleagues at Herzen State University, St. Petersburg, Russia and A.N. Severstov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia.

Grants History

Minnesota State Wildlife Grants Program. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. "Establishing conservation units and population genetic parameters of fishes in need of conservation distributed in southeast Minnesota" $30,190 awarded. 2006-2007.

Institutional Matching Funds. University of Northern Iowa. "Establishing conservation units and population genetic parameters of fishes in need of conservation distributed in southeast Minnesota" $6,000 awarded. 2006-2007.

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