Population Genomics & Biodiversity
My current research focuses on assembling genomes and analyzing genetic variation in non-model beetle species. I use these data to study how drift and selection operate in isolated populations, specifically within the Mogollon rims and sky islands (Chiricahua and Santa Rita Mountains).
Phylogenetic Comparative Methods
In my earlier work, I utilized model-fitting approaches to investigate large-scale patterns of chromosome number and sex chromosome evolution across the beetle tree of life.
Publications
Copeland, M., McConnell, M., Barboza, A., Abraham, H. M., Alfieri, J., Arackal, S., Bernard, C. E., Bryant, K., Cast, S., Chien, S., Clark, E., Cruz, C. E., Diaz, A. Y., Deiterman, O., Girish, R., Harper, K., Hjelmen, C. E., Thompson, M. J., Koehl, R., … Blackmon, H. (2026). Dismantling chromosomal stasis across the eukaryotic tree of life. In bioRxiv (p. 2026.04.14.718287). bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.14.718287
Chien, S., & Blackmon, H. (2026). Chromosomal Rearrangements: Tempo and Mode of Karyotype Evolution in Scarabaeoidea. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, voag025. https://doi.org/10.1093/jeb/voag025
Chien, S., Huang, J.-P., & Blackmon, H. (2026). Chromosome-Level Reference Genome of an Endemic, Endangered Long-Armed Scarab (Cheirotonus formosanus): Discovery of a Putative Y-Linked Scaffold and Demographic History. Ecology and Evolution, 16(4), e73483. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.73483
Blackmon, H., Jonika, M., Chien, S., Chin, M., Nathan, Anya, Chromartie, & McConnell, M. (2026). coleoguy/evobir: v3.0 (Version v3). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19137903
Sylvester, T., Hoover, Z., Hjelmen, C. E., Jonika, M. M., Blackmon, L. T., Alfieri, J. M., Johnston, J. S., Chien, S., Esfandani, T., & Blackmon, H. (2024). A reference quality genome assembly for the jewel scarab Chrysina gloriosa. G3 Genes | Genomes | Genetics, 14(6), jkae084. https://doi.org/10.1093/g3journal/jkae084