Robert T. Dillon, Jr.
Department of Biology - College of Charleston
Charleston, SC 29424
Voice (843)953-8087   Fax (843)953-5453
Email: dillonr@cofc.edu

I.  Personal Data

Birth: June 4, 1955
Marital Status: Married, two children
 
 

II.  Education

Ph.D. 1982, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Dissertation: The correlates of divergence in isolated populations of the freshwater snail, Goniobasis proxima. 182 pp.  Dissertation Abstracts 43: 615B

B.S. 1977, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg. Biology, in honors, with distinction. Honors Thesis: Factors in the distributional ecology of upper New River mollusks (Va/NC)
 
 

III.  Professional Experience

1991 - present. Associate Professor, Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC. Teaching Evolution 350, Genetics Lecture 212/311, Genetics Lab 212L, Introduction to Cell and Molecular Biology 111, Evolution Ecology and Biology of Organisms 112, Honors Biology lecture and lab, Undergraduate Research (34 projects to date).

1986 - present. Graduate Faculty in Marine Biology, College of Charleston. (Major advisor to 6 M.S. students to date).

1983 - 1991. Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, College of Charleston.

1982 - 1983. Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. Sabbatical replacement, teaching General Biology, Genetics, Invertebrate Zoology.

1981 - 1982. AAAS Fellow, Oceans & Environment Program, Office of Technology Assessment, U.S. Congress. Assigned to Clean Water Act, Section 404. For further information, see Science 214: 52 - 53.

1980 - 1981. Teaching Assistant, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Limnology, with Dr. Ruth Patrick.

1977. Field & Lab Technician, Center for Environmental Studies, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg. Ecosystems data collection.

1975. Biological Aide, Department of Forestry, Fisheries, & Wildlife Development, Tennessee Valley Authority, Norris, TN. Freshwater Mussel Survey.
 
 
 

IV.  Memberships in Professional Societies

• American Malacological Society
• American Microscopical Society
• Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society
• The National Center for Science Education
• Lowcountry Phi Beta Kappa Association
• North American Benthological Society
• Presbyterian Association for Science, Technology and the Christian Faith
• Sigma Xi
• Society for the Study of Evolution
• SC Academy of Sciences

V.  Professional Service

• Conservation

• Journals

        1985 - present.        Editorial Board, Malacologia.
        1989 - present.        Consulting Editor, The Nautilus.  
        2002 - 2003.           Guest Editor, American Malacological Bulletin Vol 19.

• Societies

        2002 - present.      Chair, Constitution & Bylaws Committee.  Chair, Resolutions Committee.
                                      American Malacological Society (formerly, "American Malacological Union").
        2002-2005.           Councilor, American Malacological Society.      
        1999 - 2002.         Vice President, President-Elect, and President.  American Malacological Society.  
                                      Host of 68th annual meeting in Charleston, August 2002.

• Anti-Creationism
  

        2000 - present.        Coordinator of Darwin Week.  See Science 311: 769 - 771. (10Feb06).
        2006 - present.        Founding President, South Carolinians for Science Education.
        2009                        "Friend of Darwin" Award, National Center for Science Education.

VI.  Grants, Contracts, and Fellowships

    2005-06.  Population genetic survey of the freshwater snail genus Goniobasis in southwest Virginia.  
        Virginia Division of Game and Inland Fisheries, $9,952.
    2005.  Habitat fragmentation in the freshwater gastropods of central North Carolina. 
        Yadkin Hydroelectric Project relicensing, Normandeau Associates.  $4,000.
    2002 - 05.  Phylogeny of physid snails (Basommatophora: Physidae) and evolution of reproductive isolation.  
        National Science Foundation DEB-0128964.  Co-principal investigator with C. Lydeard and E. Strong.  $122,873 of $440,269 total.
    1996-98. Allozyme analysis - Texas State Mollusk Project.  Houston Museum of Natural Science. 
        Co-principal investigator with J. B. Wise and M. G. Harasewych. $1,500 of $6,000 total.
    1983 - 1992. Genetic improvement of hard clam populations for commercial mariculture stock development in South Carolina. 
        NOAA, National Sea Grant College Program Office Grant No. NA85-AA-D-SG121 and several other grants. 
        Co-principal investigator - J. J. Manzi. (C of C share approx. $1.25 K of $1,000,000 total)
    1992. Status Survey of the knotty elimia, Goniobasis interrupta. 
        U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Asheville, and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, Raleigh (Cooperative).
    1988. The status of the catenate river snail, Goniobasis catenaria, in South Carolina. 
        SC Wildlife & Marine Resources Heritage Trust Program.
    1984. Faculty Research Fellowship, Medical University of SC. Molecular cloning of the rat kallikrein gene.
    1982. Congressional Fellowship, U.S. Office of Technology Assessment, Washington DC.
    1981. Grant for improving doctoral dissertation research, National Science Foundation No. DEB - 8023344.
    1977. Predoctoral Fellowship, National Science Foundation, three years.

VII.  Selected Presentations (Total 75 since 1978)

2009.  Dillon, R. T.  Genetic divergence among populations of Pleurocerid snails inhabiting rivers of the Southern Appalachians: Evidence of a two-stage process?  Invited symposium - "Toward an understanding of eco-evolutionary processes in freshwaters."  North American Benthological Society, Grand Rapids, MI

2008.  Dillon, R. T. and J. D. Robinson.  Extreme intrapopulation sequence divergence suggests an ancient origin for the pleurocerid snails of the southern Appalachians.  American Malacological Society, Carbondale, IL.

2007.  Herman, J. J. and R. T. Dillon.  Life history, shell morphology, and genetic variation in the freshwater limpets Ferrissia rivularis and F. fragilis.  Sigma Xi Student research conference. Orlando, FL.

2005.  Dillon, R.T.,  J. D. Robinson, and A.R. Wethington.  Empirical estimates of reproductive isolation among the freshwater pulmonate snails Physa acuta, P. pomilia, and P. hendersoni.  American Malacological Society, Asilomar, CA.

2004.  Robinson, J. D., R. T. Dillon, T. P. Smith and A. R. Wethington.  No reproductive isolation between the freshwater pulmonate snails Physa virgata and P. acuta.  American Malacological Society, Sanibel, FL.

2003.  Dillon, R. T. and R. C. Frankis.  High levels of mitochondrial sequence divergence in isolated populations of the freshwater snail, Goniobasis.  Freshwater Mollusk Conservation Society.  Durham, NC.

2002.  Wethington, A. R., R. T. Dillon, R. Guralnick and C. Lydeard.  Delimiting species boundaries in the cosmopolitan freshwater snail, Physa (Physella) acuta group.  Society for the Study of Evolution.  Champaign-Urbana, IL.

VIII.  Book

Dillon, R.T. (2000) The Ecology of Freshwater Molluscs. Cambridge University Press.  509 + xii pages, 27 tables, 99 figures.  ISBN: 0 521 35210 X.  Table of contents, sample chapter, and reviews are available from the web site.
 
 

IX.  Peer-Reviewed Publications   (Hit the Links below to download PDFs of selected works)

Dillon, R. T. (in press)  Empirical estimates of reproductive isolation among the Physa species of South Carolina (Pulmonata: Basommatophora).  The Nautilus.

Wethington, A.R., J. Wise, and R. T. Dillon (in press)  Genetic and morphological characterization of the Physidae of South Carolina (Pulmonata: Basommatophora), with description of a new species.  The Nautilus.

Solomon, C. T., J. D. Olden, P. T. J. Johnson, R. T. Dillon, and M. J. Vander Zanden (in press)  Distribution and community-level effects of the Chinese mystery snail (Bellamya chinensis) in northern Wisconsin lakes.  Biological Invasions.

Cowie, R. H., R. T. Dillon, D. G. Robinson and J. W. Smith (2009)  Alien non-marine snails and slugs of priority quarantine importance in the United States: A preliminary risk assessment.  American Malacological Bulletin. 27: 113-132.

Dillon, R. T. and  J. J. Herman (2009)  Genetics, shell morphology, and life history of the freshwater pulmonate limpets Ferrissia rivularis and Ferrissia fragilis.  Journal of Freshwater Ecology 24: 261-271.

Dillon, R T. and J. D. Robinson (2009)  The snails the dinosaurs saw: Are the pleurocerid populations of the Older Appalachians a relict of the Paleozoic Era?  Journal of the North American Benthological Society 28: 1 - 11.  (Rosemary Mackay Award)

Reeves, W. K., R. T. Dillon and G. A. Dasch (2008)  Freshwater snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Commonwealth of Dominica with a discussion of their roles in the transmission of parasites.   American Malacological Bulletin 24: 59 - 63.

Robinson, J. D. and R. T. Dillon  (2008)  Genetic divergence among sympatric populations of three species of oyster drills (Urosalpinx) in Cedar Key, Florida.  Bulletin of Marine Science 82: 19-31.

Dillon, R. T., J. D. Robinson, and A. R. Wethington (2007)  Empirical estimates of reproductive isolation among the freshwater pulmonates Physa acuta, P. pomilia, and P. hendersoni.  Malacologia 49: 283 - 292.

Dillon, R. T., and A. R. Wethington. (2006)   No-choice mating experiments among six nominal taxa of the subgenus Physella (Basommatophora: Physidae).  Heldia 6: 41 - 50.

Dillon, R. T., and A. R. Wethington. (2006)  The Michigan Physidae revisited: A population genetic study.  Malacologia 48: 133 - 142.

Dillon, R. T., J. D. Robinson, T. P. Smith, and A. R. Wethington.  (2005)  No reproductive isolation between freshwater pulmonate snails Physa virgata and P. acuta.  The Southwestern Naturalist 50: 415 - 422.

Dillon, R. T., T. E. McCullough, and C. E. Earnhardt. (2005)  Estimates of natural allosperm storage capacity and self-fertilization rate in the hermaphroditic freshwater pulmonate snail, Physa acuta.  Invertebrate Reproduction and Development 47: 111-115.

Wise, J., M. G. Harasewych, and R. T. Dillon. (2004)  Population divergence in the sinistral Busycon whelks of North America, with special reference to the east Florida ecotone.  Marine Biology 145:1167-1179.

Dillon, R. T., and R. C. Frankis. (2004)  High levels of DNA sequence divergence in isolated populations of the freshwater snail, Goniobasis.  American Malacological Bulletin 19: 69 - 77.

Dillon, R. T., C. E. Earnhardt, and T. P. Smith. (2004)  Reproductive isolation between Physa acuta and Physa gyrina in joint culture.  American Malacological Bulletin 19: 63 - 68.

Stewart, T. M., and R. T. Dillon. (2004)  Species composition and geographic distribution of Virginia's freshwater gastropod fauna: A review using historical records.   American Malacological Bulletin 19: 79 - 91.

Dillon, R. T., A. R. Wethington, J. M. Rhett and T. P. Smith.  (2002)  Populations of the European freshwater pulmonate Physa acuta are not reproductively isolated from American Physa heterostropha or Physa integra.  Invertebrate Biology 121: 226-234.

Dillon, R. T. and A. J. Reed (2002)  A survey of genetic variation at allozyme loci among Goniobasis populations inhabiting Atlantic drainages of the Carolinas.  Malacologia 44: 23-31.

Downs, C. A., R. T. Dillon, J. E. Fauth, and C. M. Woodley.  (2001)  A molecular biomarker system for assessing the health of gastropods (Ilyanassa obsoleta) exposed to natural and anthropogenic stressors. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 259: 189 - 214.

Dillon, R. T. and E. P. Keferl. (2000)  A survey of the pleurocerid gastropods of South Carolina.  Pp. 153 - 160 in Freshwater Mollusk Symposium Proceedings  (Tankersley, Warmolts, Watters, Armitage, Johnson & Butler, eds.)  Ohio Biological Survey, Columbus.

Wethington, A. R., E. R. Eastman, and R. T. Dillon.  (2000)  No premating reproductive isolation among populations of a simultaneous hermaphrodite, the freshwater snail Physa.  Pp. 245 - 251 in Freshwater Mollusk Symposium Proceedings  (Tankersley, Warmolts, Watters, Armitage, Johnson & Butler, eds.)  Ohio Biological Survey, Columbus.

Dillon, R. T.  (1998-99)  The inheritance of golden, a shell color variant of Marisa cornuarietis. Malacological Review 31/32: 155-157.

Dillon, R.T., and C. Lydeard (1998) Divergence among Mobile Basin populations of the pleurocerid snail genus, Leptoxis, estimated by allozyme electrophoresis.  Malacologia. 39: 111-119.

Wethington, A.R., and R. T. Dillon. (1997) Selfing, outcrossing, and mixed mating in the freshwater snail Physa heterostropha: lifetime fitness and inbreeding depression. Invertebrate Biology (formerly Trans. Am. Micros. Soc.) 116: 192-199.

Dillon, R. T., and S. A. Ahlstedt (1997) Verification of the specific status of the endangered Anthony's River Snail, Athearnia anthonyi, using allozyme electrophoresis. The Nautilus 110: 97 - 101.

Wethington, A.R., and R.T. Dillon (1996) Gender choice and gender conflict in a non-reciprocally mating simultaneous hermaphrodite, the freshwater snail, Physa. Animal Behaviour 51: 1107-1118.

Dillon, R.T., and A.R. Wethington (1995) The biogeography of sea islands: Clues from the population genetics of the freshwater snail, Physa heterostropha. Systematic Biology 44:401-409.

Dayan, N.S., and R.T. Dillon (1995) Florida as a biogeographic boundary: Evidence from the population genetics of Littorina irrorata. The Nautilus 108: 49-54.

Dillon, R.T., and A.R. Wethington (1994) Inheritance at five loci in the freshwater snail, Physa heterostropha. Biochemical Genetics 32:75-82.

Wethington, A.R., and R.T. Dillon (1993) Reproductive development in the hermaphroditic freshwater snail, Physa, monitored with complementing albino lines. Proceedings of the Royal Society (London) B 252:109-114.

Dillon, R.T. and J.J. Manzi (1992) Population genetics of the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, at the northern limit of its range. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 49:2574-2578.

Dillon, R.T. and A.R. Wethington (1992) The inheritance of albinism in a freshwater snail, Physa heterostropha. Journal of Heredity 83:208-210.

Dillon, R.T. and A.V.C. Dutra-Clark (1992) Biomphalaria in South Carolina. Malacological Review 25: 129-130.

Dillon, R.T. (1992) Minimal hybridization between the hard clams Mercenaria mercenaria and M. campechiensis, co-occurring in South Carolina. Bulletin of Marine Science 50:411-416.

Wethington, A.R. and R.T. Dillon (1991) Sperm storage and evidence for multiple insemination in a natural population of the freshwater snail, Physa. American Malacological Bulletin 9: 99-102.

  Manzi, J.J., N.H. Hadley, and R.T. Dillon (1991) Hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria, broodstocks: Growth of selected hatchery stocks and their reciprocal crosses. Aquaculture 94: 17-26.

Hadley, N.H., R.T. Dillon, and J.J. Manzi (1991) Realized heritability of growth rate in the hard clam, Mercenaria mercenaria. Aquaculture 93: 109-119.

Dillon, R.T. (1991) Karyotypic evolution in pleurocerid snails. II. Pleurocera, Goniobasis, and Juga. Malacologia 33: 339-344.

Dillon, R.T. and K.B. Davis (1991) The diatoms ingested by freshwater snails: Temporal, spatial, and interspecific variation. Hydrobiologia 210: 233-242.

Dillon, R.T., and J.J. Manzi (1989) Genetics and shell morphology in a hybrid zone between the hard clams, Mercenaria mercenaria and M. campechiensis. Marine Biology 100: 217-222.

Dillon, R.T. (1989) Karyotypic evolution in pleurocerid snails. I. Genomic DNA estimated by flow cytometry. Malacologia 31: 197-203.

Dillon, R.T. and J.J. Manzi (1989) Genetics and shell morphology of hard clams (Mercenaria) from Laguna Madre, Texas. The Nautilus 103:73-77.

Dillon, R.T. (1988) Evolution from transplants between genetically distinct populations of freshwater snails. Genetica 76: 111-119.

Dillon, R.T., and J.J. Manzi (1988) Enzyme heterozygosity and growth rate in nursery populations of the hard clam, Mercenaria. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology 116: 79-86.

Dillon, R.T. (1988) The influence of minor human disturbance on biochemical variation in a population of freshwater snails. Biological Conservation 43: 137-144.

Dillon, R.T. and J.J. Manzi (1987) Hard clam (M. mercenaria) broodstocks: genetic drift and loss of rare alleles without reduction in heterozygosity. Aquaculture 60: 99-105.

Dillon, R.T. (1987) A new Monte Carlo method for assessing the taxonomic similarity within faunal samples: Reanalysis of the gastropod fauna of Oneida Lake, NY. American Malacological Bulletin 5: 101-104.

Dillon, R.T. (1986) Inheritance of isozyme phenotype at three loci in the freshwater snail, Goniobasis proxima: Mother-offspring analysis and an artificial introduction. Biochemical Genetics 24: 281-290.

Dillon, R.T. (1985) Correspondence between the buffer systems suitable for electrophoretic resolution of bivalve and gastropod isozymes. Comparative Biochemistry & Physiology 82B:643-645.

Dillon, R.T. (1984) What shall I measure on my snails? Allozyme data and multivariate analysis used to reduce the non-genetic component of morphological variance in Goniobasis proxima. Malacologia 25:503-511.

Dillon, R.T. (1984) Geographic distance, environmental difference, and divergence between isolated populations. Systematic Zoology 33:69-82.

Dillon, R.T. and E. F. Benfield (1982) Distribution of pulmonate snails in the New River of Virginia and North Carolina, U.S.A.: Interaction between alkalinity and stream drainage area. Freshwater Biology 12: 179-186.

Dillon, R.T. (1981) Patterns in the morphology and distribution of gastropods in Oneida Lake, New York, detected using computer-generated null hypotheses. American Naturalist 118: 83-101.

Dillon, R.T. and G.M. Davis (1980) The Goniobasis of southern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina: Genetic and shell morphometric relationships. Malacologia 20: 83-98.

Dillon, R.T. (1980) Multivariate analysis of desert snail distribution in an Arizona canyon. Malacologia 19: 201-207.

X.  Other publications (Edited only)

Orstan, A. & R. T. Dillon (2009)  Charles Darwin the Malacologist.  Mollusc World 20: 4 - 6.

Dillon, R. T. (2008)  Stonewall, Woodrow, and Me: Reflections on the other great commission.  SciTech, the newsletter of the Presbyterian Association on Science, Technology, and the Christian Faith 17(3): 7 - 9.

Dillon, R. T. & J. D. Robinson (2007a)  The Goniobasis ("Elimia") of southwest Virginia, I.  Population genetic survey.  Report to the Virginia Division of Game and Inland Fisheries.  25 pp.

Dillon, R. T. & J. D. Robinson (2007b)  The Goniobasis ("Elimia") of southwest Virginia, II.  Shell morphological variation in Goniobasis clavaeformis.  Report to the Virginia Division of Game and Inland Fisheries.  12 pp.

Dillon, R. T. (2006)  Freshwater Gastropods.  pp 251 - 260  in Sturm, C.F., T.A. Pierce & A. Valdes (eds.), The Mollusks: A Guide to Their Study, Collection and Preservation.   American Malacological Society, Pittsburgh, PA.  445 pp.

Dillon, R. T. (2005)  The Senator and the Science Committee.  Reports of the the National Center for Science Education 25 (1/2): 4 - 5.

Dillon, R. T. (2004) The biology and conservation of freshwater gastropods: Introduction to the symposium.  American Malacological Bulletin 19: 31.

Dillon, R.T. (2000)  Science standards safe in South Carolina. Reports of the National Center for Science Education 20(1/2): 14-15.

Hadley, N.H., J.J. Manzi, A.G. Eversole, R.T. Dillon, C.E. Battey, and N.M. Peacock (1997)  A Manual for the Culture of the Hard Clam Mercenaria spp. in South Carolina.  SC Sea Grant Consortium, Charleston.  135 pp.

Dillon, R.T., and J.J. Manzi (1994) Managing bivalve broodstocks. World Aquaculture 24(3): 47 - 53.

Dillon, R.T. (1994) Your year is gone ... POOF! pp. 37-40 in Fainberg, A. (ed.), From the Hill to the Lab, essays celebrating 20 years of congressional science and engineering fellows. A.A.A.S., Washington, D.C.

Dillon, R.T. (1988 - 1993) "Genetics in Aquaculture", a series of twelve columns running as a regular feature in World Aquaculture.

Dillon, R.T. (1989) Journal costs: Complacency and complicity in science.  Serials Review 15: 80-82.
 
 

XI. Manuscripts submitted or in preparation

Dillon, R. T. (in review)  Genetic and morphological divergence among populations of Pleurocerid snails inhabiting rivers of the Southern Appalachians: Evidence of a two-stage process

Dillon, R. T. and J. D. Robinson (in review) The opposite of speciation: Population genetics of the Goniobasis of central Georgia.

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