Dr. Jeffrey S. Jensen Lecturer Department of Biology Biology-Psychology Building University of Maryland College Park, Maryland 20742 email: jensen@umd.edu phone: (301) 405-5912

Education:
Harvard University, Ph.D., 1993 

Research Interests:
Functional morphology, ecology, and evolution of fishes 

Courses Taught:
BSCI 106 - Principles of Biology II, Ecology and Evolution
BSCI 207 - Principles of Biology III, Organismal Biology
BSCI 394 - Vertebrate form and function

Research Description:

I'm investigating resource partitioning in surfperches, a family of nearshore fishes common along the west coast of North America. Most of my research is done at the Friday Harbor Marine Lab in Washington state. Surfperches give birth to live young that are extraordinarily well developed - a 17 cm female may have as many as 30 6 cm young! As adults, surfperches show a variety of morphological and behavioral feeding specializations. Recently, I've been investigating the extent and ecological importance of morphological differences among newborns of different species that share the same habitats. 

Representative Publications:

Drucker, E. G. and J. S. Jensen. 1997. Kinematic and electromyographic analysis of steady pectoral fin swimming in the surfperches. The Journal of Experimental Biology 200:1709-1723.

Drucker, E. G. and J. S. Jensen. 1996. Pectoral fin locomotion in the striped surfperch. I. Kinematic effects of swimming speed and body size. The Journal of Experimental Biology 199: 2235-2242.

Drucker, E. G. and J. S. Jensen. 1996. Pectoral fin locomotion in the striped surfperch. II. Scaling swimming kinematics and performance at a gait transition. The Journal of Experimental Biology 199, 2243-2252.

Drucker, E. G. and J.S. Jensen. 1991. Evolution of a specialized prey processing behavior:functional analysis of winnowing by Embiotoca jacksoni (Teleostei: Embiotocidae). Journal of Morphology 210: 267-287. 

Jensen, J. S. 1990. Plausibility and testability: Assessing the consequences of evolutionary innovation. In Evolutionary Innovations, M. H. Nitecki (ed.). Chicago University Press.

Stiassny, M. L. J., and J. S. Jensen. 1987. Labroid intrarelationships revisited: Morphological complexity, key innovations, and the study of comparative diversity. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University 151: 269-319.