Alhajeri Lab

Evolutionary Ecology, Morphometrics, and Desert Adaptation | Kuwait University

The Alhajeri Lab studies how mammalian form evolves within and among species, with a particular focus on rodents and life in arid environments. We combine museum specimens, image-based geometric morphometrics, ecological and geographic data, phylogenies, and statistical analyses to investigate variation, adaptation, and diversification.

العربية

What we study

Rodent evolutionary morphology

We quantify cranial and mandibular variation across rodent populations and species, testing how size, taxonomy, geography, ecology, and evolutionary history shape form. Recent systems include gerbils, jerboas, pocket mice, kangaroo rats, gerbil mice, and ground squirrels.

Desert adaptation and macroevolution

We test how arid environments shape rodent morphology and broader patterns of body size, geographic range, community structure, functional diversity, and diversification. Phylogenetic comparative methods help separate shared ancestry from repeated ecological responses.

Additional projects and collaborations

Camel phenomics and genetics. Our main collaboration is a research program led by Dr. Hasan Alhaddad through HA Genetics. We collaborate with Dr. Alhaddad on genetic studies of camels, contributing morphometric and statistical analyses.

Other projects have included studies of attendance and performance in undergraduate biology, facial variation across horse breeds, and the evolution of terrestriality in mudskippers. We have also worked on methods for comparing species-level environmental data sources and organizing biological specimen data in the field.

How we work

Research usually begins with standardized photographs of museum voucher specimens. We convert images into landmark data, analyze shape and size with geometric morphometrics, and integrate the results with spatial, climatic, ecological, and phylogenetic information using statistical analyses in R.

Selected publications across our research

These selections illustrate evolutionary morphology and global climatic adaptation in rodents, camel morphometrics, and biology education. The full record, including the additional comparative and methods projects noted above, appears on the Publications page.

Accelerated cranial divergence in isolated Ammospermophilus lineages: integrating phylogenetic, allometric, and environmental drivers of morphological evolution

Geographic isolation produced the strongest cranial differentiation in island and range-edge lineages; because those taxa are also restricted and threatened, the results identify clear conservation priorities.

A global test of Allen’s rule in rodents

Across roughly 86% of described rodent species, tail length showed the clearest climatic pattern—strongest in desert taxa and more consistent with cold adaptation than heat.

Camel breed morphometrics: current methods and possibilities

Reviews limitations in traditional measurements and proposes standardized, image-based approaches for describing and comparing camel populations.

Attendance predicts performance in undergraduate biology: Moderation by instructional and student factors

Across 58 courses and 1,374 enrollments, absence remained one of the strongest predictors of performance after accounting for course format, scheduling, and student background; unexcused and total absences had stronger associations than excused absences.

Students and collaborations

Graduate and undergraduate students, research volunteers, and prospective collaborators are welcome to explore our work. We are especially interested in morphometrics, mammalian evolution, desert ecology, museum collections, and phylogenetic comparative methods. We also welcome focused collaborations on other organisms or questions where these approaches can contribute. Visit the People page, review our publications, or contact us to discuss a possible project.