Recent Courses
EE BIOL 130 - Principles of Systematic Biology
EE BIOL 181 - Parasitology
EE BIOL 251 - Seminar: Systematics
Research Areas
Evolutionary Biology, Marine Biology
Research Interests
Phylogenetic systematics
Systematics and evolution of reptiles and cypriniform, gasterosteiform, and perciform fishes
Research and development of enzymatic technology and phylogenetic treatment of electrophoretic data
My research and that of my students deal with the systematics of lower vertebrates, especially fishes. These studies address problems of phylogenetic relationship at a variety of organizational levels; alpha (species limits and recognition), beta (interspecific relationships), and gamma (intraspecific relationships and population phenomena). To test hypotheses of relationship, multiple data bases are often employed. Given their information potential and cost of resolution, allozyme and morphometric/meristic data are most commonly used in my laboratory. Facilities for osteological and karyological work are also available. Cladistic analyses of these data are conducted using both PC and mainframe computers.
My current studies involve cypriniform, gasterosteiform, and perciform fishes. Planned and ongoing studies of my students involve cypriniform, scorpaeniform, perciform, and elasmobranch fishes. Most of these studies deal with the North American ichthyofauna.
Selected Publications
Buth, D.G., "[Review of] Invasive Asian Carps in North America by D.C. Chapman and M.H. Hoffs (eds.)", Quart. Rev. Biol, 87 : 398-399 (2012) .
Buth, D.G., "Should mitochondrial DNA sequences be used in phylogenetic studies?", Bull. So. Cal. Acad. Sci, 109 (2): 108-109 (2010) .
Chabot, C., D. Buth, C. Swift, J. Sim, T. Dowling, and L. Allen, "Introgression of mitochondrial DNA between Catostomus fumeiventris and Catostomus santaanae Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in the Santa Clara drainage", Bull. So. Cal. Acad. Sci, 108 (2): 105- (2009) .
Buth, D.G., Sim, J., and Swift, C.C., "Genetic confirmation of hybridization between Catostomus fumeiventris and Catostomus santaanae (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) in the
Santa Clara drainage", Bull. So. Cal. Acad. Sci, 107 : 121-122 (2008) .
Garcia, D., L. Resnikoff, D.G. Buth, and P. Frost, "Intestinal helminth parasites of the bay goby, Lepidogobius lepidus (Perciformes: Gobiidae), from Bodega Bay, CA, U.S.A", Comp. Parasitol, 71 : 86-87 (2004) .
Buth, D.G. Review of, "The Southern African Tortoise Book", by R.C. Boycott and O. Borquin. Herpetology, 31 (2): 2- (2001) .
Buth, D.G. Review of, "Turtles of Borneo and Peninsular Malaysia", by L.B. Liat and I. Das. Herpetology, 31 (1): 3- (2001) .
Lieb, C.S., D.G. Buth and M.M. Miyamoto, "Superoxide dismutase expression in the lizard genus Anolis: Systematic significance of a silenced gene", Biochem. Syst. Ecol, 27 : 201-211 (1999) .
Buth, D.G. and W.J. Rainboth, "Gene expression in the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizi: tissue sources and buffer optima for the gene products of 73 loci", Biochem. Syst. Ecol, 27 : 185-200 (1999) .
Crother, B.I., D.G. Buth and M.R. Tennant, "The systematic value of creatine kinase expression in reptiles", Biochem. Syst. Ecol, 27 : 147-156 (1999) .