Ph.D., Stowers Institute. Kansas City MO, USA

During her rebellious teenage years, spurred in part by the God-fearing Midwest climate, Aracely developed an interest in evolution, a process that is beautifully integrated with every aspect of biology. As an undergraduate, she began investigating one of evolutionary biology’s biggest conundrums – sexual reproduction – in the lab of Dr. Peter Baumann at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri. She continued this research for her PhD dissertation at the University of Kansas Medical Center. By utilizing the unisexual Whiptail lizard (genus: Aspidoscelis), Aracely uncovered mechanisms that allow unisexual organisms to reproduce without sex.

Aracely’s postdoctoral research aimed to understand the evolution of insulin signaling in Drosophila. She was supported in this work by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Fellowship.

Cole CJ, Taylor HL, Neaves WB, Baumann DP, Newton A,  Schnittker R, and Baumann P. 2017. The second known tetraploid species of parthenogenetic tetrapod (reptilia: squamata: teiidae): Description, reproduction, comparisons with ancestral taxa, and origins of multiple clones. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology 161(8):285-321.

Newton AA, Schnittker RR, Yu Z, Munday SS, Baumann DP, Neaves WB, Baumann P. Widespread failure to complete meiosis does not impair fecundity in parthenogenetic whiptail lizards. 2016. Development 143(23): 4486-4494.

Lutes (Newton) AA, Baumann DP, Neaves WB, Baumann P. Laboratory synthesis of an independently
reproducing vertebrate species. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011. 108(24):9910-5.

Lutes (Newton) AA, Neaves WB, Baumann DP, Wiegraebe W, Baumann P. Sister chromosome pairing
maintains heterozygosity in parthenogenetic lizards. Nature. 2010. 464(7286):283-6.