Vazrick Nazari,
PhD Candidate
Contact:
Department of Integrative
Biology
University of Guelph
Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
Phone: (519) 824-4120 ext. 53943
Fax: (519) 767-1656
Email: vnazari[at]uoguelph.ca
Curriculum Vitae (pdf)
Academic
degrees:
MSc: Systematics and Evolution, Department
of Biological Sciences, University of
Alberta, 2006
PhD: Evolutionary Genetics and Systematics, Department
of Integrative Biology, University of
Guelph (current)
Research
background:
My PhD research project focuses on testing the utility of the Cytochrome
Oxidase I (COI)
in determining the species boundaries among North American Coleophoridae
(Insecta: Lepidoptera). I am also investigating the evolutionary history and
phylogeny of this family based on morphological characters as well as sequence
information from other mitochondrial and nuclear genes. I work in the Biodiversity Institute of Ontario
with Dr Paul
Hebert and am co-advised by Dr Jean-Francois
Landry.
During my MSc research at University of Alberta with Dr Felix Sperling
(completed 2006) I studied the molecular phylogeography of a Parnassiinae, a
subfamily of swallowtail butterflies, and its relationship with other
swallowtail subfamilies (Papilioninae and Baroniinae) using mtDNA (COI-COII, ND5,
ND1 and 16S)
and nuclear DNA (EF-1a
and wg)
sequences for phylogenetic analysis. The subfamily was traditionally considered
to consist of 2 tribes, Parnassiini (with genera Parnassius, Hypermnestra and Archon), and
Zerynthiini (with genera Allancastria, Zerynthia, Luehdorfia, Bhutanitis, and Sericinus),
which are distributed throughout the Palaearctic as well as a few Parnassius
species in the western hemisphere. For some of the subspecies-rich genera
within these tribes, I also investigated speciation and diversification at the
population level.
Being a butterfly enthusiast from Iran, where
some of these species are also found, I have been collecting and studying the
butterflies of my homeland since early childhood. My background includes
working for several years with the Iranian National Museum for Natural History
(MMTT), Department of
Environment (DoE), and Plant Pests and
Diseases Research Institute (PPDRI).
I have been closely involved in developing the Iranian National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP). I
have published in 2003 a volume on the Butterflies of Iran, and I also
moderate a discussion
group on butterflies of Iran and the Iranian plateau. +
Publications:
- Nazari, V., Lees, D.C., Brattström, O. and Larsen, T.B., [2010]. Out
of Madagascar? Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of Colotis
(Lepidoptera: Pieridae). [In prep.].
- Nazari, V. and Larsen, T.B., [2010]. Molecular evidence for the
taxonomic status of chromosome races in Gegenes pumilio (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae). [In prep.].
- Nazari, V. and Landry, J.F., [2010]. Pre-sorting microlepidoptera with
DNA barcodes: Minimizing the need for dissections. [In prep.].
-
Nazari, V. and ten Hagen, W., [2010]. Speciation and divergence of Tomares hairstreaks:
evidence from DNA barcodes (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). [In prep].
-
Larsen, T.B., Vane-Wright, R.I., Kunte,
K. & Nazari, V., 2009. Papilio danae Fabricius, 1775 [currently Colotis danae]
(Insecta, Lepidoptera, Pieridae): proposed conservation of prevailing usage by
the suppression of Papilio danae Hufnagel, 1766, for the purposes of homonymy. The
Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature. pdf.
- Nazari, V., ten Hagen, W.,
and Bozano, G., 2009. Molecular Systematics and biogeography of Melanargia using
mitochondrial and nuclear markers. Systematic Entomology 35; DOI:
10.1111/j.1365-3113.2009.00493.x. pdf.
- Steeves, R., Nazari, V., Landry, J.F. and Lacroix, C.R., 2008.
Molecular identification of a larval lepidopteran pre-dispersal seed predator
of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence Aster (Symphyotrichum laurentianum) (Fernald) Nesom.
Canadian Entomologist, 140(3): 297-305. pdf
- Nazari, V. and Sperling, F.A.H., 2007. Mitochondrial DNA divergence
and phylogrography in western palaearctic Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera:
Papilionidae): How many species are there? Insect Systematics and Evolution,, 38(2):
121-138. pdf
and vouchers.
- Nazari, V., Zakharov, E.V., and Sperling, F.A.H., 2007. Phylogeny,
historical biogeography, and taxonomic ranking of Parnassiinae (Lepidoptera,
Papilionidae) based on morphology and seven genes. Molecular phylogenetics and Evolution,
42: 131-156. pdf and vouchers.
- Nazari, V., Sperling, F.A.H. (and Carbonell, F.), 2006. Parnassiinae
on Tree of Life. link.
- Nazari, V., 2006. Phylogeny of Parnassiinae: Comparative analysis of
DNA and morphology, with implications for the classification of the subfamily.
MSc Thesis, University of Alberta.
- Nazari, V., 2005. Sperling lab DNA vouchers: Lists, data and images. link.
- Nazari, V., 2004. Argyresthiidae of Alberta (Insecta: Lepidoptera).
Strickland Entomological Museum species pages. link.
- Nazari, V., 2003. Butterflies of Iran. Department of Environment,
Dayereye Sabz publications, Tehran. 568 p. link.
- National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Secretariat, 2002.
Biodiversity for Decision Makers. (member of the drafting group). link
- National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Secretariat, 2001. The second
National Report for the Convention of Biological Diversity. NBSAP Secretariat,
Tehran. 98 pp. (member of the drafting group). pdf
- National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan Secretariat, 2000. The first
National Report for the Convention of Biological Diversity. NBSAP Secretariat,
Tehran. 62 pp. (member of the drafting group). pdf
- Pazuki, A. and Nazari, V., 1995. New Butterflies for Iranian fauna
(I). Additions and corrections to the list given by Eckweiler and Hofmann (1980).
Journal of the
Entomological Society of Iran, 15: 53-63.