USC.edu

Regina Wetzer

Adjunct Associate Professor (Research) of Biological Sciences
Email wetzer@usc.edu Office AHF 107A Office Phone (213) 763-3217

Education

  • Ph.D. Biology, University of South Carolina, 2000
  • M.S. Biology, California State University Long Beach, 1983
  • B.S. Biology, Loyola Marymount University, 1975

  • Research, Teaching, Practice, and Clinical Appointments

    • Adjunct Faculty, University of Southern California, 2005-08-01-

    PostDoctoral Appointments

    • Post Doctoral Researcher, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 01/01/2000 – 01/01/2002

    Other Employment

    • Adjunct Faculty in Biology, University of Southern California, 08/01/2005
    • Research Scientist, Research and Collections, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 01/01/2003
    • Director, Marine Biodiversity Processing Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 01/01/2003
    • Supervisor, Marine Invertebrate Biodiversity Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 08/01/2001-12/01/2002
    • Postdoctoral Fellow with J. W. Martin, Research and Collections/Crustacea, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 12/01/1999-12/01/2002
    • Graduate Teaching and Research Assistant, Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, 08/01/1994-12/01/1999
    • Adjunct Faculty, Department of Biology, and Project Manager, Grice Marine Biological Laboratory, College of Charleston, South Carolina, 1993-1994
    • Collections Management Consultant, San Diego Natural History Museum, 1993
    • Senior Collections Manager, Department of Marine Invertebrates, San Diego Natural History Museum, 1987-1993
    • Collections Manager, Invertebrates Section, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, 1985-1987
    • Staff Biologist, Pacific BioMarine Laboratories, Inc., Venice, California, 1984-1985

  • Summary Statement of Research Interests

    Understanding evolution is fundamental to deciphering the complexity of our living world and its enormous biological diversity. Wetzer is interested in evolutionary questions about invertebrates and uses phylogenetic inference to investigate broad evolutionary patterns at a macroevolutionary scale. Her specialty is Crustacea with a focus on marine isopods (pill bugs). Her extensive field work, as well as morphological and molecular systematic work in the lab reconstruct the history of character change on a phylogeny enabling evaluation of specific hypotheses and the formulation of new biologically interesting questions. Wetzer’s interests include exploring evolutionary hypotheses involving previously unexplained life history traits, homoplastic morphological features, and biogeographic distributions.

  • Journal Article

    • Wetzer, R., Pérez-Losada, M., Bruce, N. L. (2013). Phylogenetic relationships of the family Sphaeromatidae Latreille, 1825 (Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda) within Sphaeromatidea based on 18S-rDNA molecular data. Zootaxa. Vol. 3599 (2), pp. 161-177.
    • Regier, J. C., Schultz, J. W., Zwick, A., Hussey, A., Ball, B., Wetzer, R., Martin, J. W., Cunningham, C. W. (2010). Arthropod relationships reveled by phylogenomic analysis of nuclear protein-coding sequences. Nature. Vol. 463 (7284), pp. 1079-1083.
    • De Grave, S., Pentcheff, N. D., Ahyong, S. T., Chan, T. Y., Crandall, K. A., Dworschak, P. C., Felder, D. L., Feldman, R. M., Fransan, C. M., Goulding, L. D., Lemaitre, R., Low, M. Y., Ng, P. L., Schweitzer, C. E., Tan, S. H., Tshudy, D., Wetzer, R. (2009). A classification of living and fossil genera of decapod crustaceans. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement. Vol. 21, pp. 1-109.
    • Wetzer, R., Martin, J. W., Boyce, S. L. (2009). Evolutionary origins of the gall crabs (family Cryptochiridae) based on 16S rDNA sequence data. Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics. Vol. 18 (Crustacean Issues), pp. 475-490.
    • Wares, J. P., Daley, S., Wetzer, R., Tonnen, R. J. (2007). An evaluation of cryptic lineages of Idotea balthica (Isopoda: Idoteidae): morpology and microsatellites. Journal of Crustacean Biology. Vol. 27 (4), pp. 643-648.
    • Wetzer, R., Bruce, N. L. (2007). A new species of Paradella Harrison and Holdich, 1982 (Crustacea: Isopoda: Sphaeromatidae) from Baja California, Mexico, with a key to the Pacific species. Zootaxa. Vol. 1512, pp. 39-49.
    • Zala, K., Pentcheff, N. D., Wetzer, R. (2005). Laser-printed labels in wet collections: Are they holding up?. Collection Forum. Vol. 19 (1/2), pp. 49-56.
    • Chavez-Lopez, R., Rocha-Ramirez, A., Alvarez, F., Wetzer, R. (2005). Elthusa alvaradoensis. Crustaceana. Vol. 78 (7), pp. 865-872.
    • Brusca, R. C., Wetzer, R., Espinosa, M., Hendrickx, M. E. (2005). Arthopoda: Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Conservation International. pp. 131-137.
    • Bruce, N. L., Wetzer, R. (2004). Paradella tiffany. Zootaxa. Vol. 623, pp. 1-12.
    • Martin, J. W., Heard, R. W., Wetzer, R. (2003). A new species of Stenetrium Haswell, 1881 (Crustacea: Peracarida: Isopoda: Asellota), from Navassa Island, Northern Caribbean Sea. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Vol. 116 (4), pp. 967-977.
    • Staton, J. L., Taylor, B. E., Schizas, N. V., Wetzer, R., Glenn, T. C., Coull, B. C. (2003). Mitochondrial gene diversity of Skistodiaptomus mississippiensis in impoundments of the Upper Coastal Plain near Aiken, South Carolina, USA. Archiv fuer Hydrobiologie. Vol. 158 (2), pp. 215-231.
    • Wetzer, R., Martin, J. W., Trautwein, S. E. (2003). Phylogenetic relationships within the coral crab genus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. Vol. 27, pp. 410-421.
    • Lewis, J. J., Martin, J. M., Wetzer, R. (2003). Columbasellus acheron. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Vol. 116 (1), pp. 190-197.
    • Wetzer, R. (2002). Mitochondrial genes and isopod phylogeny (Crustacea: Isopoda). Journal of Crustacean Biology. Vol. 22 (1), pp. 1-14.
    • Wetzer, R. (2001). Hierarchical analysis of mtDNA variation and the use of mtDNA for isopod systematics (Crustacea: Isopoda). Contributions to Zoology, Amsterdam. Vol. 70 (1), pp. 23-39.
    • Wetzer, R., Bruce, N. L. (1999). A new genus and species of sphaeromatid isopod (Crustacea) from Atlantic Costa Rica. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Vol. 112 (20), pp. 368-380.
    • Wetzer, R., Brusca, R. C. (1997). Crustacea, Isopoda. Descriptions of species of the suborders Anthuridea, Epicaridea, Flabellifera, Gnathiidea, and Valvifera. Taxonomic Atlas of Santa Maria Basin and the Western Santa Barbara Channel, California. Vol. 11 (The Crustacea Part 2), pp. 9-58.
    • Wetzer, R., Brusca, R. C., Wilson, G. F. (1997). Crustacea, Isopoda. Introduction to the Marine Isopoda In: J. Blake and L. Watling (eds.). Taxonomic Atlas of Santa Maria Basin and the Western Santa Barbara Channel, California. Vol. 11 (The Crustacea Part 2), pp. 1-9.
    • Hager, M. W., Shelton, S. Y., Gibson, J., Wetzer, R., Watkins, R. (1997). San Diego Natural History Museum Collections Policy. pp. 38.
    • Brusca, R. C., Wetzer, R., France, S. C. (1995). Cirolanidae (Crustacea: Isopoda: Flabellifera) of the tropical eastern Pacific. Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History. Vol. 30 (1-96)
    • Brusca, R. C., Wetzer, R. (1995). Marshes of the Ocean Shore. Development of an Ecological Ethic, by Joseph V. Siry. Environmental Professional. Vol. 191-192
    • Wetzer, R., Kuck, H. G., R., P. B., Brusca, R. C., Jurkevics., L. M. (1991). Catalog the isopod Crustacea type collection of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Technical Reports. Vol. 3, pp. 59.
    • Wetzer, R. (1990). A new species of isopod, Aega (Rhamphion) francoisae (Flabellifera: Aegidae), from the cloaca of an ascidian from the Galápagos Islands. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Vol. 103 (3), pp. 655-662.
    • Brusca, R. C., Wetzer, R. (1990). Tropical deforestation and coral reefs. Field Notes — San Diego Natural History Museum. Vol. 3 (4), pp. 6-7.
    • Wetzer, R. (1989). Beyond Tropical Rain Forests. Field Notes — San Diego Natural History Museum. Vol. 2 (5), pp. 7.
    • Wetzer, R., Brusca, R. C., Delaney, P. M. (1986). Politolana wickstenae n. sp. Contributions in Science, Los Angeles County Natural History Museum. Vol. 392, pp. 1-10.
    • Wetzer, R. (1986). Bathynomus. A Living Sea Monster. Terra. Vol. 25 (2), pp. 26-29.
    • Wetzer, R., Hendler, G. (1986). Über “Krystallkörper” bei Seesternen. Denkschr. Med. Nat. Ges. Jena,. Vol. 8, pp. 491-494.

    Other

    • Harvey, A. W., Martin, J. W., Wetzer, R. (2001). Phylum Arthropoda: Crustacea. Atlas of Marine Invertebrate LarvaeAcademic Press.

  • Other Advisement or Time Devoted to Students

      Work Study Students: Since 2004 created and managed ongoing program for work study students in collections care (over 35 students to date), two of whom are now permanent NHM collections staff.
      See: http://research.nhm.org/mbc/students and http://isopods.nhm.org/people/
      Undergraduate Directed Research Students: Since 2004 guided 8 undergraduate
      projects (USC course BISC 490, HP 290). Products have included peer-reviewed
      publications, species descriptions, biological model system developement, and conference presentations.
      Postdoctoral Advisee Alexandra Hiller, Department of Animal Ecology, Justus-Liebig-
      University, Giessen, Germany, contributed to the gene sequencing effort on the NSF
      sphaeromatid isopod project.