Martin Turcotte

  • Assistant Professor
  • Evolutionary Ecology

Contact

Office: (412) 383-3297
204A Clapp Hall
4249 Fifth Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15260

My research focus is Evolutionary Community Ecology, which means I study the dynamic interplay between ecological and evolutionary processes over very rapid timescales. Using a variety of complementary approaches, especially experimental evolution, I test how species interactions and environmental change drive evolution. Critically, I also test how these evolutionary changes in turn alter ecological dynamics and future evolutionary dynamics. Using rapidly evolving plant and insect study systems my lab investigates various topics such as:

  • Experimental eco-evolutionary feedbacks in the field.
  • The impact of phenotypic plasticity in species coexistence.
  • Eco-evolutionary consequences of plant domestication.

For more information, visit my Lab web page.

Turcotte, M.M., Araki, H., Karp, D.S., Poveda,

Turcotte, M.M., Araki, H., Karp, D.S., Poveda, K., and Whitehead, S.R. (2017). The eco-evolutionary impacts of domestication and agricultural practices on wild species. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 372 (1712): 20160033.  

Whitehead, S.R., Turcotte, M.M., and Poved

Whitehead, S.R., Turcotte, M.M., and Poveda, K. (2017) Domestication impacts on plant-herbivore interactions: a meta-analysis. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 372 (1712): 20160034.  

Turcotte, M.M. and Levine, J.M. (2016) Phenotyp

Turcotte, M.M. and Levine, J.M. (2016) Phenotypic plasticity and species coexistence. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 31(10): 803-813. 

Johnson, M.T.J., Bertrand, J.A., and Turcotte,

Johnson, M.T.J., Bertrand, J.A., and Turcotte, M.M. (2106) Precision and accuracy in quantifying herbivory. Ecological Entomology. 31(10): 803-813

Turcotte, M.M., Lochab, A.K., Turley, N.E., and

Turcotte, M.M., Lochab, A.K., Turley, N.E., and Johnson, M.T.J. 2015. Plant domestication slows pest evolution. Ecology Letters. 18 (9): 907-915. DOI: 10.1111/ele.12467

Milla, R., Osborne, C.P., Turcotte, M.M., Violl

Milla, R., Osborne, C.P., Turcotte, M.M., Violle, C. 2015. Plant domestication through an ecological lens. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 30: 463-469. DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.06.006

Gotanda, K.M., Correa, C., Turcotte, M.M., Rols

Gotanda, K.M., Correa, C., Turcotte, M.M., Rolshausen G., and Hendry, A.P. 2015. Linking macro-trends and micro-rates: re-evaluating micro-evolutionary support for Cope’s rule. Evolution, 69: 1345-1354. DOI: 10.1111/evo.12653

Turcotte, M.M., Turley, N.E., Johnson, M.T.J. 2

Turcotte, M.M., Turley, N.E., Johnson, M.T.J. 2014. The impact of domestication on resistance to two generalist herbivores across 29 independent domestication events. New Phytologist, 204 (3), 671-681. DOI: 10.1111/nph.1293

Turcotte, M.M., Davies, T.J., Thomsen, C.J.M.,

Turcotte, M.M., Davies, T.J., Thomsen, C.J.M., and Johnson, M.T.J. 2014. Macroecological and macroevolutionary patterns of herbivory across vascular plants. Proceedings of the Royal Society: B. Biological Sciences, 281 (1787), 20140555. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0555

Turcotte, M.M., Thomsen, C.J.M., Broadhead, G.T

Turcotte, M.M., Thomsen, C.J.M., Broadhead, G.T., Fine, P.V.A., Godfrey, R.M., Lamarre, G.P.A., Meyer, S.T., Richards, L.A., and Johnson, M.T.J. 2014. Percentage leaf herbivory across vascular plants species. Ecology, 95(3), p. 788-788. DOI: 10.1890/13-1741.1

Turcotte, M.M., Reznick, D.N. and Hare, J.D. 20

Turcotte, M.M., Reznick, D.N. and Hare, J.D. 2013. Experimental test of an eco-evolutionary dynamic feedback loop between rapid evolution and population density in the green peach aphid. American Naturalist, 181(S81), p. S46-S57.

Turcotte, M.M., Corrin, M.S.C., Johnson, M.T.J.

Turcotte, M.M., Corrin, M.S.C., Johnson, M.T.J. 2012. Adaptive evolution in ecological communities. PLoS Biology, 10(5): e1001332. DOI:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001332.

Turcotte, M.M., Reznick, D.N. and Hare, J.D. 20

Turcotte, M.M., Reznick, D.N. and Hare, J.D. 2011. The impact of rapid evolution on population dynamics in the wild: Experimental test of eco-evolutionary dynamics. Ecology Letters, 14(11), p. 1084-1092. DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01676.x

Sachs, J.L., Essenberg, C.J., and Turcotte, M.M

Sachs, J.L., Essenberg, C.J., and Turcotte, M.M. 2011. New paradigms for the evolution of beneficial infections. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 26(4), p. 202-209. DOI:10.1016/j.tree. 2011.01.01

Turcotte, M.M., Reznick, D.N. and Hare, J.D. 20

Turcotte, M.M., Reznick, D.N. and Hare, J.D. 2011. Experimental assessment of the impact of rapid evolution on population dynamics. Evolutionary Ecology Research, 13, p. 113-131.

Bassar, R.D., Lopez-Sepulcre, A., Walsh, M.R.,

Bassar, R.D., Lopez-Sepulcre, A., Walsh, M.R., Turcotte, M.M., Torres-Mejia, M., and Reznick, D.N. 2010. Bridging the gap between ecology and evolution: Integrating density regulation and lifehistory evolution. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1206 (1), p.17-34, DOI: 10.1111/j. 1749-6632.2010.05706.x

McKellar, A.E., Turcotte, M.M., and Hendry, A.P

McKellar, A.E., Turcotte, M.M., and Hendry, A.P. 2009. Environmental factors influencing adult sex ratio in Trinidadian guppies. Oecologia, 159(4), p. 735-45, DOI:10.1007/s00442-008-1257-x

Turcotte, M.M., Pires, M.N., Vrijenhoek, R.C.,

Turcotte, M.M., Pires, M.N., Vrijenhoek, R.C., and Reznick, D.N. 2008. Pre- and post-fertilization maternal provisioning in livebearing fish species and their hybrids (Poeciliidae: Poeciliopsis). Functional Ecology, 22 (6), p. 1118-1124, DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2435.2008.01461
Dr. Turcotte received his Ph.D. in 2011 with David Reznick and J. Daniel Hare at the University of California at Riverside. He performed his postdoctoral studies with Marc Johnson at the University of Toronto at Mississauga (2011-2014) and then with Jonathan Levine at ETH Zurich (2014-2017). He joined the Department in January 2017.