Matthew B. Hamilton
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I am deeply intrigued by the processes that influence the distribution of genetic variation within species. My empirical projects utilize a diverse range of organisms, including marine fish, forest trees and other plants, or a salt marsh plant and insect community. Research in my laboratory focuses on fundamental and applied questions in evolutionary biology, population genetics and conservation genetics. I am interested in gene flow and population structure, the interplay of effective population size and natural selection, and inferring population demographic histories from population genetic data. I frequently use simulation modeling to develop expectations for the behavior of genetic systems under idealized evolutionary processes. My lab also employs molecular genetic methods such as microsatellite genotyping and DNA sequencing to estimate key population genetic parameters such as effective population size, degree of population structure and rates of nucleotide substitution.
I most enjoy research projects that have a component based in theory or concept along with a component that involves empirical data collection. One of my strengths as a population geneticist is understanding traditional models and then parameterizing or extending them to model a specific situation or to view empirical evidence from a novel perspective. I expect students in my lab to learn about the conceptual basis of population genetics, develop computer programming, mathematics and statistical skills, and be familiar with genotyping techniques as well as the biology of organisms. |
POSITIONS
Associate Professor of Biology
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, BA in Biological Sciences, 1990
Brown University, PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1995.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Institution, National Zoological Park, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, 1995-1998.
PRIMARY COURSES
Evolutionary Processes (BIOL 185)
Population Genetics (BIOL 413)
Molecular Evolution (BIOL 360)
ACADEMIC INTERESTS
Effective population size, gene flow & population structure, rates of molecular evolution and rate heterogeneity, quantitative genetics, coalescent models, stochastic simulations, trees, striped bass, mathematical biology
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Travel, fly fishing, boating, cooking and food, carpentry, and home renovation
Associate Professor of Biology
- PI of past NSF REU summer program in Environmental Science & Policy (2016-2018)
- Founding Director of Environmental Biology undergraduate major
- Past Faculty Chair of Georgetown Environmental Initiative Steering Committee (2012-2015)
EDUCATION
University of Chicago, BA in Biological Sciences, 1990
Brown University, PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 1995.
Postdoctoral Fellow, Smithsonian Institution, National Zoological Park, Molecular Genetics Laboratory, 1995-1998.
PRIMARY COURSES
Evolutionary Processes (BIOL 185)
Population Genetics (BIOL 413)
Molecular Evolution (BIOL 360)
ACADEMIC INTERESTS
Effective population size, gene flow & population structure, rates of molecular evolution and rate heterogeneity, quantitative genetics, coalescent models, stochastic simulations, trees, striped bass, mathematical biology
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Travel, fly fishing, boating, cooking and food, carpentry, and home renovation
Selected Publications (In Reverse Chronological Order):
Kottler EJ, Hamilton MB, and Gedan KB. 2024. Plasticity Drives the Trait Variation of a Foundation Marsh Species Migrating into Coastal Forests with Sea-Level Rise. Ecosphere 15(8): e4962. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4962
Hurtado LA, Mateos M, Caballero IC, Oladimeji TE, Adite A, Awodiran MO, Winemiller KO, and Hamilton MB. 2024. Critically small contemporaneous effective population sizes estimated for stocks of the African bonytongue in Western Africa. Fishes 9(6):196. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9060196
Maguire B, Tomasula J, Rippel T, Wimp G, and Hamilton MB. 2023. Sea level rise-induced habitat loss does not alter effective migration rate for the salt marsh insect Tumidagena minuta due to large genetic effective population size. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1160232 G U
Hamilton MB. 2021. Population Genetics. 2nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ.
Wimp GM, Tomasula J, and Hamilton, MB. 2019. Putting the genes into community genetics. Molecular Ecology 28(19):4351-4353. doi.org/10.1111/mec.15209 G
Hamilton MB, Tartakovsky M, and Battlocletti A. 2018. SpEED-Ne: software to simulate and estimate genetic effective population size (Ne) from linkage disequilibrium observed in single samples. Molecular Ecology Resources 18(3): 714-728. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12759 See software: github.com/mbhamilton/SpEED-Ne G U
Gutiérrez-Ozuna R, and Hamilton M.B. 2017. Identification and characterization of microsatellite loci in the tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera (Magnoliaceae). Applications in Plant Sciences 5(8):1700032. G
Braverman, J. M., Hamilton M. B., and Johnson B. A. 2016. Patterns of substitution rate variation at many nuclear loci in two species trios in the Brassicaceae partitioned with ANOVA. Journal of Molecular Evolution 83(3):97–109. http://rdcu.be/vwOi
Leviyang S. and M. B. Hamilton. 2011. Properties Of Weir And Cockerham's FST Estimators And Associated Bootstrap Confidence Intervals. Theoretical Population Biology 79:39-52.
Immler, S., M. B. Hamilton, Poslusny, N., Birkhead, T., And Epifanio, J. 2011. Postmating Reproductive Barriers In Two Unidirectionally Hybridising Sunfish (Centrarchidae: Lepomis). Journal Of Evolutionary Biology 24(1):111-120.
Sheridan, C., Douglas, M., Power, L., Wimp, G., and Hamilton, M. B. 2011. Isolation, Characterization, And Cross-Species Amplification Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In Two Salt Marsh Planthoppers, Delphacodes detecta And Tumidagena minuta (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Molecular Ecology Resources 11(1):219-222.
Hamilton MB. 2009. Population Genetics. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ.
Soria-Hernanz, D. F., Fiz Palacios, O., Braverman, J. M., And Hamilton M. B. 2008. Reconsidering The Generation Time Hypothesis Based On Nuclear Ribosomal ITS Sequence Comparisons In Annual And Perennial Angiosperms. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:344. Get Paper Here. G
Miller, J. R., D Wood, And M. B. Hamilton. 2008. FST And QST Under neutrality. Genetics 180:1023-1037.
Soria-Hernanz, D. F., Braverman, J. M., And Hamilton M. B. 2008. Parallel Rate Heterogeneity In Chloroplast And Mitochondrial Genomes Of Brazil Nut Trees (Lecythidaceae) Is Consistent With Lineage Effects. Molecular Biology And Evolution 25(7):1282-1296. Doi: 10.1093/Molbev/Msn074. G
Rottenstreich S, Hamilton MB, Miller JR. 2007. Dynamics Of FST For The Island Model. Theoretical Population Biology 72:485-503.
Rottenstreich S., Miller J., Hamilton M. 2007. Mean And Variance Of Steady State GST For The Island Model. Theoretical Population Biology 72:231-244.
Drummond, C. D., And M. B. Hamilton. 2007. Hierarchical Components Of Genetic Variation At A Species Boundary: Population Structure In Two Sympatric Varieties Of Lupinus microcarpus (Leguminosae). Molecular Ecology 16:753-769. G
Miller, J. R., M. C. Pugh, And M. B. Hamilton. 2006. A Finite Locus Effect Diffusion Model For The Evolution Of A Quantitative Trait. Journal Of Mathematical Biology 52(6): 761-787.
Drummond, C. D., And M. B. Hamilton. 2005. Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci For Lupinus Group Microcarpi (Leguminosae). Molecular Ecology Notes 5:510-513. G
Brown KM, Baltazar GA And Hamilton MB. 2005. Reconciling Nuclear Microsatellite And Mitochondiral Marker Estimates Of Populations Structure: Breeding Population Structure Of Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis). Heredity 94:606-615. U
Farzad, M., D. F. Soria-Hernanz, M. Altura, M. B. Hamilton, M. R. Weiss, And H. G. Elmendorf. 2005. Molecular Evolution Of The Chalcone Synthase Gene Family And Identification Of The Expressed Copy In Flower Petal Tissue Of Viola cornuta. Plant Science 168:1127-1134. G U
Adams, R. I, K. M. Brown And M. B. Hamilton. 2004. The Impact Of Microsatellite Electromorph Size Homoplasy On Multilocus Population Structure Estimates In A Tropical Tree (Corythophora alta) And An Anadromous Fish (Morone saxatilis). Molecular Ecology 13:2579-2588. U
Hamilton, M. B., J. M. Braverman, And D. Soria. 2003. Patterns And Relative Rates Of Nucleotide And Insertion/Deletion Evolution At Six Chloroplast Intergenic Regions In New World Species Of The Lecythidaceae. Molecular Biology And Evolution 20:1710-1721. Get Paper Here. G
Lepsch-Cunha, N., C. A. Lund, And M. B. Hamilton. 2003. Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In The Tropical Arboreal Palm Oenocarpus bacaba (Arecaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 3:435-437.
Brown, K. M., G. A. Baltazar, B. N. Weinstein, And M. B. Hamilton. 2003. Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In The Anadromous Marine Fish Morone saxatilis. Molecular Ecology Notes 3:414-416. U
Hamilton, M. B., And J. R. Miller. 2002 Comparing Relative Rates Of Pollen And Seed Gene Flow In The Island Model Using Nuclear And Organelle Measures Of Population Structure. Genetics 162:1897-1909. Get Paper Here.
Hamilton, M. B. 2002 Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In The Tropical Tree Corythophora alta (Lecythidaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 2:363-365.
Hamilton, M. B. 1999. Tropical Tree Gene Flow And Seed Dispersal. Nature 401:129-130. Issue Table Of Contents Here. Get Pdf Here.
Hamilton, M. B. 1999. Four Primer Pairs For The Amplification Of Chloroplast Intergenic Regions With Intraspecific Variation. Molecular Ecology 8:521-523.
Hamilton, M. B., E. L. Pincus, A. DiFiore, And R. Fleischer. 1999. Universal Linker And Ligation Procedures For Construction Of Genomic DNA Libraries Enriched For Microsatellites. BioTechniques 27:500-507.
Hamilton, M. B. 1997. Genetic Fingerprint Inferred Population Subdivision And Spatial Genetic Tests For Isolation By Distance And Adaptation In The Coastal Plant Limonium Carolinianum. Evolution 51:1457-1468.
G = Papers With Georgetown Graduate Student Authors
U = Papers With Georgetown Undergraduate Student Authors
Hurtado LA, Mateos M, Caballero IC, Oladimeji TE, Adite A, Awodiran MO, Winemiller KO, and Hamilton MB. 2024. Critically small contemporaneous effective population sizes estimated for stocks of the African bonytongue in Western Africa. Fishes 9(6):196. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes9060196
Maguire B, Tomasula J, Rippel T, Wimp G, and Hamilton MB. 2023. Sea level rise-induced habitat loss does not alter effective migration rate for the salt marsh insect Tumidagena minuta due to large genetic effective population size. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2023.1160232 G U
Hamilton MB. 2021. Population Genetics. 2nd Edition. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ.
Wimp GM, Tomasula J, and Hamilton, MB. 2019. Putting the genes into community genetics. Molecular Ecology 28(19):4351-4353. doi.org/10.1111/mec.15209 G
Hamilton MB, Tartakovsky M, and Battlocletti A. 2018. SpEED-Ne: software to simulate and estimate genetic effective population size (Ne) from linkage disequilibrium observed in single samples. Molecular Ecology Resources 18(3): 714-728. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.12759 See software: github.com/mbhamilton/SpEED-Ne G U
Gutiérrez-Ozuna R, and Hamilton M.B. 2017. Identification and characterization of microsatellite loci in the tuliptree, Liriodendron tulipifera (Magnoliaceae). Applications in Plant Sciences 5(8):1700032. G
Braverman, J. M., Hamilton M. B., and Johnson B. A. 2016. Patterns of substitution rate variation at many nuclear loci in two species trios in the Brassicaceae partitioned with ANOVA. Journal of Molecular Evolution 83(3):97–109. http://rdcu.be/vwOi
Leviyang S. and M. B. Hamilton. 2011. Properties Of Weir And Cockerham's FST Estimators And Associated Bootstrap Confidence Intervals. Theoretical Population Biology 79:39-52.
Immler, S., M. B. Hamilton, Poslusny, N., Birkhead, T., And Epifanio, J. 2011. Postmating Reproductive Barriers In Two Unidirectionally Hybridising Sunfish (Centrarchidae: Lepomis). Journal Of Evolutionary Biology 24(1):111-120.
Sheridan, C., Douglas, M., Power, L., Wimp, G., and Hamilton, M. B. 2011. Isolation, Characterization, And Cross-Species Amplification Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In Two Salt Marsh Planthoppers, Delphacodes detecta And Tumidagena minuta (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Molecular Ecology Resources 11(1):219-222.
Hamilton MB. 2009. Population Genetics. Wiley-Blackwell, Hoboken, NJ.
Soria-Hernanz, D. F., Fiz Palacios, O., Braverman, J. M., And Hamilton M. B. 2008. Reconsidering The Generation Time Hypothesis Based On Nuclear Ribosomal ITS Sequence Comparisons In Annual And Perennial Angiosperms. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8:344. Get Paper Here. G
Miller, J. R., D Wood, And M. B. Hamilton. 2008. FST And QST Under neutrality. Genetics 180:1023-1037.
Soria-Hernanz, D. F., Braverman, J. M., And Hamilton M. B. 2008. Parallel Rate Heterogeneity In Chloroplast And Mitochondrial Genomes Of Brazil Nut Trees (Lecythidaceae) Is Consistent With Lineage Effects. Molecular Biology And Evolution 25(7):1282-1296. Doi: 10.1093/Molbev/Msn074. G
Rottenstreich S, Hamilton MB, Miller JR. 2007. Dynamics Of FST For The Island Model. Theoretical Population Biology 72:485-503.
Rottenstreich S., Miller J., Hamilton M. 2007. Mean And Variance Of Steady State GST For The Island Model. Theoretical Population Biology 72:231-244.
Drummond, C. D., And M. B. Hamilton. 2007. Hierarchical Components Of Genetic Variation At A Species Boundary: Population Structure In Two Sympatric Varieties Of Lupinus microcarpus (Leguminosae). Molecular Ecology 16:753-769. G
Miller, J. R., M. C. Pugh, And M. B. Hamilton. 2006. A Finite Locus Effect Diffusion Model For The Evolution Of A Quantitative Trait. Journal Of Mathematical Biology 52(6): 761-787.
Drummond, C. D., And M. B. Hamilton. 2005. Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci For Lupinus Group Microcarpi (Leguminosae). Molecular Ecology Notes 5:510-513. G
Brown KM, Baltazar GA And Hamilton MB. 2005. Reconciling Nuclear Microsatellite And Mitochondiral Marker Estimates Of Populations Structure: Breeding Population Structure Of Chesapeake Bay Striped Bass (Morone saxatilis). Heredity 94:606-615. U
Farzad, M., D. F. Soria-Hernanz, M. Altura, M. B. Hamilton, M. R. Weiss, And H. G. Elmendorf. 2005. Molecular Evolution Of The Chalcone Synthase Gene Family And Identification Of The Expressed Copy In Flower Petal Tissue Of Viola cornuta. Plant Science 168:1127-1134. G U
Adams, R. I, K. M. Brown And M. B. Hamilton. 2004. The Impact Of Microsatellite Electromorph Size Homoplasy On Multilocus Population Structure Estimates In A Tropical Tree (Corythophora alta) And An Anadromous Fish (Morone saxatilis). Molecular Ecology 13:2579-2588. U
Hamilton, M. B., J. M. Braverman, And D. Soria. 2003. Patterns And Relative Rates Of Nucleotide And Insertion/Deletion Evolution At Six Chloroplast Intergenic Regions In New World Species Of The Lecythidaceae. Molecular Biology And Evolution 20:1710-1721. Get Paper Here. G
Lepsch-Cunha, N., C. A. Lund, And M. B. Hamilton. 2003. Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In The Tropical Arboreal Palm Oenocarpus bacaba (Arecaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 3:435-437.
Brown, K. M., G. A. Baltazar, B. N. Weinstein, And M. B. Hamilton. 2003. Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In The Anadromous Marine Fish Morone saxatilis. Molecular Ecology Notes 3:414-416. U
Hamilton, M. B., And J. R. Miller. 2002 Comparing Relative Rates Of Pollen And Seed Gene Flow In The Island Model Using Nuclear And Organelle Measures Of Population Structure. Genetics 162:1897-1909. Get Paper Here.
Hamilton, M. B. 2002 Isolation And Characterization Of Nuclear Microsatellite Loci In The Tropical Tree Corythophora alta (Lecythidaceae). Molecular Ecology Notes 2:363-365.
Hamilton, M. B. 1999. Tropical Tree Gene Flow And Seed Dispersal. Nature 401:129-130. Issue Table Of Contents Here. Get Pdf Here.
Hamilton, M. B. 1999. Four Primer Pairs For The Amplification Of Chloroplast Intergenic Regions With Intraspecific Variation. Molecular Ecology 8:521-523.
Hamilton, M. B., E. L. Pincus, A. DiFiore, And R. Fleischer. 1999. Universal Linker And Ligation Procedures For Construction Of Genomic DNA Libraries Enriched For Microsatellites. BioTechniques 27:500-507.
Hamilton, M. B. 1997. Genetic Fingerprint Inferred Population Subdivision And Spatial Genetic Tests For Isolation By Distance And Adaptation In The Coastal Plant Limonium Carolinianum. Evolution 51:1457-1468.
G = Papers With Georgetown Graduate Student Authors
U = Papers With Georgetown Undergraduate Student Authors
