• Geology 1003 - Historical Geology
• Geology 3011 - Introduction to Paleontology
• Geology 7120 - Paleobiology
• Geology 7115 - Paleobiology
• Geology 1001, 1003, 1601, 1602- Freshman Field Camp

In the geologic column, biotic remains preserve a record of ancient life and provide a wealth of information as sediment grains, and I integrate both types of information into my research. The primary focus of my research is the paleobiology, paleoecology, taphonomy, and phylogeny of mollusks, particularly the Bivalvia. My work combines field research in both modern and ancient settings, museum studies, and laboratory analyses. One long-standing project is an investigation of the evolutionary history of Neogene Corbulidae (Bivalvia: Myoidea) in tropical America, especially as it relates to environmental, oceanographic, and climatic changes over the last 23 million years (Neogene). Recently, this work has led to the exploration of topics that include 1) the role of constraint, innovation and heterochrony in the morphologic evolution of the corbulid shell (Anderson and Roopnarine 2005; Goodwin et al. 2008); 2) phylogenetic reconstruction of Neogene corbulids of tropical America (Anderson and Roopnarine 2003); and 3) phylogenetic reconstruction of freshwater radiation(s) of corbulid bivalves from the Paleocene and Neogene of the Americas (Anderson et al. 2006; in prep). In future work my goal is to produce a systematic revision of the Corbulidae at a global scale, and examine the ecology and life-history characteristics of invasive members of this clade. In addition, I am exploring morphologic integration in heterodont bivalves in collaboration with Peter Roopnarine at the California Academy of Sciences, using an algorithm Peter developed to recognize modularity in landmark data. I also am participating in a multiyear international collaboration to inventory the aquatic animals of Alto Purús National Park and Purús Communal Reserve. Alto Purús, with Manu National Park and adjacent protected areas in Bolivia and Brazil, is the largest conservation corridor in the Amazon Basin. Nonetheless, only minimal baseline biodiversity data is currently available for the aquatic fauna of the region and Projecto Alto Purús will focus on fully characterizing diversity within the crustaceans, fishes, platyhelminths, mollusks, and sponges of this region.

• Ph.D., 1991, University of Wisconsin - Madison
• M.S., 1987, Bowling Green State University (Ohio)
• B.S., 1985, University of Minnesota - Morris

Goodwin, D. H., Anderson, L. C., and Roopnarine, P. D. 2008. Evolutionary origins of novel conchologic Growth Patterns in Tropical American corbulid bivalves. Evolution and Development, 10:643-656. 

Nemésio, A., Aronowsky, A., and Anderson, L.C. 2006. Exallocorbula (Bivalvia: Corbulidae), a new name for the Amazonian molluscan fossil Pebasia Nuttall. Veliger, 48: 228-229.  

Anderson, L.C., Hartman, J.H., and Wesselingh, F. 2006. Close evolutionary affinities between freshwater corbulid bivalves from the Neogene of Western Amazonia and Paleogene of the Northern Great Plains, USA. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 21: 28-48. (invited)  

Anderson, L.C. and Roopnarine, P.D. 2005. Role of constraint and selection in the morphologic evolution of Caryocorbula (Mollusca: Corbuildae) from the Caribbean Neogene. Paleontologica Electronica, 8.2.32A. (invited)

Anderson, L.C. and P.D. Roopnarine. 2003. Evolution and phylogenetic relationships of Neogene Corbulidae (Bivalvia; Myoidea) of tropical America. Journal of Paleontology, 77: 1086-1102. (Received best paper award for journal for 2003.)

Taylor, M.J., R.A. McBride, L.C. Anderson, and M.R. Byrnes. 2002. Building on the research of our founders: 65 years of chenier plain studies at Louisiana State University. In M.K. Steinberg and P.F. Hudson, eds. Cultural and Physical Expositions: Geographic Studies in the Southern United States and Latin America. Geoscience Publications, Department of Geography and Anthropology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, p. 261-276.

Henderson, W.G., L.C. Anderson, and C.R. McGimsey. 2002. Distinguishing Natural and Archaeological Deposits: Stratigraphy, Taxonomy, and Taphonomy of Holocene Shell-Rich Accumulations from the Louisiana Chenier Plain. Palaios, v. 17, p. 192-205.

Anderson, L.C. 2001. Temporal and geographic size trends in Neogene Corbulidae (Bivalvia) of tropical America: Using environmental sensitivity to decipher causes of morphologic trends. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 166, p. 101-120.

Anderson, L.C. 2001. Transport and spatial fidelity. In D.E.G. Briggs and P.R. Crowther, eds. Palaeobiology II, Blackwell Scientific, London, p. 289-292.

McBride, R.A., L.C. Anderson, A. Tudoran, and H.H. Roberts. 2000. Holocene stratigraphic architecture of a sand-rich shelf and the origin of linear shoals: Northeastern Gulf of Mexico. In: K.M. Bergman and J.W. Snedden, eds. Isolated Shallow Marine Sand Bodies: Sequence Stratigraphic Analysis and Sedimentologic Interpretation. SEPM Special Publication, v. 64, p. 95-126.

Anderson, L.C., R.A. McBride, M.J. Taylor, and M.R. Byrnes. 1998. Late Holocene record of community replacement preserved in time-averaged molluscan assemblages, Louisiana chenier plain. Palaios, v. 13, p. 488-499.

Anderson, L.C., B.K. Sen Gupta, R.A. McBride, and M.R. Byrnes. 1997. Reduced seasonality of Holocene climate and pervasive mixing of Holocene marine section: Northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf. Geology, v. 25, p. 127-130.

Graduate Student

Jacob Grosskopf
jgross2@lsu.edu

Jacob is looking at taphonomic alteration of inocramid bivalves through the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in eastern Colorado for his M.S. research.