1. What do you study related to biodiversity (what are your research questions, what organisms do you work on)?
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 I am interested in the vertebrates of Madagascar. A substantial portion of our fieldwork is to conduct biological inventories of poorly known or unknown areas of the island. Data and specimens obtained from these surveys are used to address questions ranging from documenting the distributional patterns of different organisms on the island, their phylogenetic history, and evolutionary biology. Further, these data are of paramount importance for conservation planning.
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2. How do you study biodiversity (for example, what technological tools and methodologies do you use in your research)?
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As odd as it might sound, remarkably little is known about certain animal groups for such a biodiversity hot spot as Madagascar, whose remaining natural forests continue to be degraded by human activities. Basic information on the different organisms living on the island is incomplete. In order to fill in some of these gaps we conduct biological surveys in forested habitats to record the current biota of the island. Even though such work has a rather Victorian flair, it is of paramount importance to document what exists now and may not in the near future. Specimens collected during these surveys form the backbone of a wide-range of studies examining the species limits, origins, ecology, and evolutionary history of Madagascar's unique biota.
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3. Where do you study biodiversity?
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Mostly on the island of Madagascar, as well as numerous other tropical countries in Africa and Asia. Over the course of the past 15 years our study group has been to over 160 different sites on Madagascar to conduct biological inventories.
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4. How might your research have implications for biological conservation?
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In order to prioritize decisions that will need to be made in the very near future concerning conservation strategies on Madagascar, it is crucial to have up-to-date information on levels of biological diversity of the island and the distribution of endemic species. Given that time is limited, funds in short supply, and a myriad of organisms on the island remain undiscovered by the scientific community, biological inventories are absolutely necessary to classify and prioritize zones in need of protection.
Over the course of the past 15 years many new species to science have been found during these biological surveys, as well as several species thought to be on the verge of extinction. Amongst mammals we have found at least 25 species new to science, including primates. Such data provide the backbone for conservation planning.
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5. How did you become interested in science? What made you want to be a scientist, and how did you get to The Field Museum?
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I was originally trained as a sculptor and was interested in birds in flight as a form of motion. I often went out to sketch birds, and through time paid more attention to their behavior and natural history. At some point I left my sketchpad behind and started carrying a pair of binoculars. With the aid of several important mentors, I developed my interests in natural history and evolutionary ecology. This went on to several different stages and I commenced conducting biological inventories in numerous places in Africa, and then later on in Asia. In 1989 a position was created at the Field Museum with the title 'Field Biologist' and I was lucky enough to obtain this post.
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6. Describe important collaborations for your scientific endeavors (describe your work with other researchers, organizations, or scientific groups, local or indigenous peoples, etc.)
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In Madagascar I am responsible for a program at the WWF office to help with the advancement of young local scientists conducting their graduate work at a national university. This program, which just celebrated its 10th year, is of critical importance to help develop a generation of Malagasy conservation biologists with the background and experience to make scientifically based decisions associated with safeguarding their unique biological heritage.
Graduates of this program are now obtaining important governmental and non-governmental jobs and we anticipate in the very near future important changes in how Malagasy officials will approach certain biological issues facing their country. Further, students involved in this program often come on surveys with us to learn field techniques, develop their own skills and projects, and to actively participate in the discovery of their own natural patrimony.
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