Michael S. Zavada, Ph.D.

Text Box: Department of Biological Sciences East Tennessee State University Box 70703 Johnson City, TN 37614 423-439-6919 423-439-5958 (FAX) zavadam@etsu.edu  

 
  • Professor      
  • Chair, Department of Biological Sciences

Academic Background        

Courses Taught at East Tennessee State University

  • General Biology
  • Ethnobotany
  • Palynology
  • Paleobotany
  • Electron Microscopy

 

Teaching Philosophy

"There are two types of people in the world, astronomers and astronauts."
 (Quote from Dr. Alan Grant -- Sam Neill -- in Jurassic Park III)
Professors who are engaged teachers and active researchers are both. You get the benefit of insightful thought on the most current topics and interact with people who explore the outer boundaries of a discipline. In an educational environment that is increasingly focusing on similarities among teachers and students with fixed curricula and standardized tests and performance ratings, the university environment is one of the last places on the planet where student and faculty differences are celebrated and nurtured, and thought is not bound by current societal norms or  conventional wisdom. This is what is different and special about a university education, and in great contrast to primary/secondary education.

Our ability to present factual knowledge through a variety of media sometimes makes the modern professor more of a media manager than a teacher. Teachers need to have factual knowledge. Teachers need to have experience that is acquired through their scholarly work, and involvement in the university, the professional community, and the community at large. Teachers need to have the ability to relate to the student on a generational and personal level. No one approach, no one teacher, no one method is applicable to all students, and it is the collaborative effort of the teacher, the departmental faculty, and the college faculty that bring their factual knowledge, diverse personalities and experiences to bear on the education of a student. It is important  that faculty stay engaged and interactive with other faculty and students. Isolation breeds bias, intolerance, and stagnation. Collaboration, debate, experimentation, and peer review are mutually beneficial; this leads to the unique juxtaposition of old ideas to form new ideas and new approaches to solving problems important to today's world.

Research & Interests

I am interested in elucidating the time and place of origin of the angiosperms. I approach the problem from a paleobotanical / palynological perspective. Pollen has a number of characteristics for tracking the time, place and early diversification of a variety of taxonomic groups. Among these characteristics are; pollen is a ubiquitous fossil, often found in sediments that are devoid of other fossilized plant remains, pollen is resistant to decay and preserves a number of morphological and ultrastructural features, pollen characters have been shown to have taxonomic importance, and pollen floras are a better representation of past plant diversity than the megafossil record. An important aspect of my work has been determining the pollen synapomorphies of angiosperms. I have taken a broad approach in evaluating the taxonomic significance of these characters. My data base now includes ultrastructural studies (light, scanning electron, and transmission electron microscopy) of the extant primitive angiosperms (e.g., basal angiosperms, Hamamelidae, and monocots), dispersed fossil pollen of gymnosperm and angiosperm affinity from five of the seven continents, and pollen found in fossilized reproductive structures of various gymnosperm, pteridosperm and angiosperm taxa of the Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic. 

A second facet of my research is elucidating the functional significance of pollen characters. This may provide insight into the selective pressures that brought about the diverse angiosperm pollen morphologies. This area of my research has been more empirical, and has taken me into disciplines such as the physical sciences (engineering and geosciences), pollination and reproductive biology, plant physiology, and development. This line of research has been, and will be, of great importance to understanding the origin and early diversification of angiosperms.   The ultrastructural studies of fossil pollen remain my primary research focus, however, my research in collaboration with Dr. Karl Hasenstein from the University of Louisiana, on the self-incompatibility (SI) of Theobroma cacao is important to understanding what role SI may have played in the origin and diversification of angiosperms. The self-incompatibility system of cacao has been termed "ovarian", a type of SI that may have been present in early angiosperms. Our investigations, however, are showing that this system may be a unique variation of a sporophytic SI system. 

I am also interested in floristic development in areas of high species diversity, i.e., the fynbos of South Africa, and the flora of Madagascar. I have been funded to look at the development of the angiosperm floras over time (Cretaceous and Tertiary) and to investigate what factors may have played a role in the development of these unique high diversity areas.  

I continue to have an ongoing interest in ethnobotany, in paleo- and plant ecology, lichenology, and the application of paleobotany and palynology to archeology, and aerobiology.

I am interested in accepting well qualified graduates with similar interests in our Master’s program

Publication

Theses

Zavada, M.S.1976. Palynology of the Upper Cretaceous Fruitland Formation, San Juan Basin, New Mexico. M.S. Thesis, Arizona State 

    University, Tempe.

Zavada,M.S.1982. Morphology, ultrastructure, and evolutionary significance of monosulcate pollen. Ph.D. Thesis, The University of Connecticut,   

    Storrs.

 

Book Chapters

Taylor, T.N. and M.S. Zavada. 1986. Developmental and functional aspects of fossil pollen, pgs. 165-178. In: Pollen and Spores, Form and   Function, 

    S. Blackmore and I.K. Ferguson (eds.) Linn. Soc. Symposium Series 12, London.

Zavada, M.S. 1991. Determining character polarities in pollen, pgs. 239-256.     In: Pollen and Spores: Patterns of Diversification, Blackmore, S.   

and S. Barnes (eds.), Linn. Soc. Symp. Series, Oxford University Press.

Kurmann, M.H. and M.S. Zavada. 1994. Pollen morphological diversity in extant and fossil gymnosperms, pgs. 123-137. In: M.H. Kurmann and 

     J.A. Doyle (eds.), Ultrastructure of fossil spores and pollen, Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew Bull.

Baker, R.P., Hasenstein, K.H. and M.S. Zavada. 1994. Self-incompatibility in Theobroma cacao: Hormonal changes associated with the 

     incompatibility responce, pgs. 273-275. In: Pollen-Pistal Interaction and Pollen Tube Growth, Stephenson, A.G. and Kao, T.h. (eds.). American

     Society of Plant Physiologists.

Harley, M.M. and M.S. Zavada. 2000. Pollen of the monocotyledons:Selecting characters for cladistic analysis, pgs. 194-213.  In: Monocots: 

     Systematics and Evolution, Wilson, K.L. and D. Morrison (eds.), CSIRO Publish., Sydney, Australia.

Zavada, M.S., G.J. Anderson and T.N. Taylor. 2000. The role of apertures in

     pollen germination: A case study from Solanum appendiculatum, pgs.89-97. In: M.M. Harley, C.M. Morten,  and S. Blackmore (eds.). Pollen

     and Spores: Morphology and Biology,  Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

 

Refereed Journal Articles

Lee, M. and A. Zavada. 1977. A report of a Tertiary petrified wood from Yuma County, Arizona. J. Ariz. Acad. Sci., 12: 21-22.

Nash, T.H. and M. Zavada. 1977. Population studies in the parmelias subsection Xanthoparmelia. Amer. J. Bot., 64: 666-671.

Zavada, M. 1979. Palynology of some Upper cretaceous flysch deposits in Central Macedonia, Yugoslavia. Geol. Balkanica, 9: 35-46.

Crepet, W.L., Daghlian, C.P. and M. Zavada. 1980. Investigations of fossil flowers from the Eocene of North America: A new juglandaceous catkin. 

     Rev. Paleobot. Palynol., 30: 361-370.

Zavada, M. and W.L. Crepet. 1981. Investigations of angiosperms from the Eocene of North America: Flowers of the Celtidoideae. Amer. J. Bot.,

     68: 924-933.

Zavada, M., Xu, Xue-Lin, and M. Edwards. 1983. On the taxonomic status of Lophiola aurea Ker-Gawler. Rhodora, 85: 73-81.

Zavada, M. 1983. Pollen morphology of Ulmaceae. Grana, 22: 23-30.

Zavada, M. 1983. Comparative morphology of monocot pollen and evolutionary trends of apertures and wall structure. Bot. Rev., 49: 331-379.

Zavada, M. 1983. Pollen wall development of Zamia floridana. Pollen et Spores, 25: 287-304.

Zavada, M. 1984. Pollen wall development of Austrobaileya maculata.  Bot.

     Gaz., 145: 11-21.

Zavada, M. 1984. Angiosperm origins and evolution based on dispersed fossil pollen ultrastructure. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard., 71: 440-459.

Zavada, M. 1984. The relation between pollen exine sculpturing and self-incompatibility mechanisms. Plant Syst. Evol., 147: 63-78.

Yatskievych, G. and M. Zavada. 1984. Pollen morphology of Lennoaceae. Pollen et Spores, 26: 131-143.

Zavada, M. and W.L. Crepet. 1985. Pollen wall ultrastructure of the type material of Pteruchus africanus, P. dubius and P. papillatus.  Pollen et

     Spores, 27: 271-276.

Zavada, M. and D.L. Dilcher. 1986. Comparative morphology and phylogeny of pollen of the Hamamelidae. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard., 73: 348-381.

Dilcher, D.L. and M.S. Zavada. 1986. Phylogeny of the Hamamelideae: An introduction. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard., 73: 225-226.

Zavada, M. and W.L. Crepet. 1986. Pollen wall structure of Caytonanthus arberi. Plant Syst. and Evol., 153: 259-264.

Zavada, M. and T.N. Taylor. 1986. The role of self-incompatibility and sexual selection in the gymnosperm-angiosperm transition: A hypothesis.         

     Amer.  Nat., 128: 538-550.

Zavada, M. and T.N. Taylor. 1986. Pollen morphology of Lactoridaceae. Plant Syst. Evol., 154: 31-39.

Taylor, T.N., Zavada, M., and S. Archangelsky. 1987. The ultrastructure of Cyclusphaera psilata from Cretaceous deposits of Argentina. Grana, 26:

      74-80.

Zavada, M.S. 1987. The occurrence of Cyclusphaera sp. in Southern Africa. VII Simposio Argentino de Paleobotanica y Palynologia, Actas: pgs.

      101-105.

Zavada, M.S. and J. Benson. 1987. The first fossil evidence for the primitive angiosperm family, Lactoridaceae. Amer. J. Bot., 74: 1590-1594.

Manchester, S.R. and M. Zavada. 1987. Lygodium foliage with intact sorophores form the Eocene of Wyoming. Bot. Gaz., 148: 392-399.

Zavada, M.S. and D.L. Dilcher. 1988. Pollen wall ultrastructure of selected dispersed monosulcate pollen from Cenomanian, Dakota Formation of

      central U.S.A. Amer. J. Bot., 75: 667-677.

Kerr, S. and M.S. Zavada. 1989. The effect of the Lichen Acarospora sinopica on the elemental composition of three sedimentary rock substrates

      in South Africa. The Bryologist, 92: 407-410.

Zavada, M.S.  1990. The Mexican curandera in Arizona.  Desert Plants, 10: 61-65.

Zavada, M.S. 1990. The ultrastructure of selected monosulcate pollen from the Triassic Chinle Formation, Western U.S. Palynology, 14: 9-18.

Zavada, M.S. 1990. A contribution to the pollen wall ultrastructure of orchid pollinia. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard., 77: 457-482.

Zavada, M.S. 1990. Correlations between pollen exine sculpturing and angiosperm self-incompatibility systems - A rebuttal.  Taxon, 39: 442-

     447.

Zavada, M.S. and N.I. Gabarayeva. 1991. Comparative pollen wall development of Welwitschia mirabilis and selected primitive angiosperms. Bull.        

     Torrey Bot. Club, 118:292-302.

Zavada, M.S. 1991. The ultrastructure of pollen found in the dispersed sporangia of Arberiella (Glossopteridaceae). Bot. Gaz., 152:248-255.

Zavada, M.S. and M. Mentis. 1992. Plant-Animal Interaction:  The effect of Permian mega-herbivores on the Glossopterid flora.  Amer. Midland

     Nat., 127:1-13.

Zavada, M.S. 1992. Pollen wall ultrastructure of fossil discoid pollen.  Bull. Torrey Bot. Club, 119:44-49.

Wei, Z.-X., Zavada, M.S. and Ming, T.-L. 1992. Pollen morphology of Camellia (Theaceae) and its taxonomic significance. Acta Bot. Yunnanica,

     14:275-282.

Zavada, M.S. and G. Scott. 1993. Pollen morphology of Cyanella spp. (Tecophiliaceae). Grana, 32: 189-192.

Zavada, M.S. and Z. Wei. 1993. A contribution to the pollen wall ultrastructure of Camellia spp. (Theaceae). Grana, 32: 233-242.

Zavada, M.S. and A. Cadman. 1993. Palynological investigation at the Makapansgat Limeworks: An australopithecine site. J. Human Evolution

     25: 337-350.

Kim, M. and M.S. Zavada. 1993. Pollen morphology of Broussonetia (Moraceae). Grana, 32: 327-329.

Zavada, M.S. 1993. The historical use of henna (Lawsonia inermis L.) in the Balkans. Thaiszia, 3: 97-100.

Zavada, M.S. and T. Lowrey. 1995. Floral heteromorphism in Dais cotinifolia L. (Thymelaeaceae): a possible case of heterostyly. Adansonia, 17: 11-

     20.

Zavada, M.S. and M. Kim. 1996. Phylogenetic analysis of the Ulmaceae. Pl. Syst. Evol., 200: 13-20.

Baker, R.P., Hasenstein, K.H. and M.S. Zavada 1997. Hormonal changes after compatible and incompatible pollinations in Theobroma cacao L.

    Hortscience, 32: 1231-1234.

Zavada, M.S. and G.J. Anderson. 1997. The wall and  aperture development of pollen from the dioecious Solanum appendiculatum: What  is 

    inaperturate  pollen? Grana, 36:129-134.

Allain, L.K. Zavada, M.S. and D.G. Matthews 1999. The reproductive biology of Magnolia grandiflora. Rhodora, 101: 143-162.

Goodwin, M.B., Clemens, W.A., Hutchinson, J.H., Wood, C.B., Zavada, M.S., Kemp, A. , Duffin, C.J.,  and C.R. Schaff. 1999. Mesozoic continental

    vertebrates with associated palynostratigraphic dates from the Northwestern Ethiopian plateau. J. Vert. Paleontology, 19: 728-741.

Zavada, M.S. and S. De Villiers. 2000. Pollen of the Asteraceae from the Paleocene-Eocene of South Africa. Grana, 39: 39-45.

Zavada, M.S. and P. Simoes. 2001. The possible demi-lichenization of the basidiocarps of  Trametes versicolor (L.:Fries) Pilat (Polyporaceae).

     Northeastern Naturalist, 8: 101-112.

Hasenstein, K.H. and M.S. Zavada. 2001. Auxin modification of the incompatibility response in Theobroma cacao L. Physiologia Plantarum,

    112: 113-118.

Zavada, M.S. 2003. The ultrastructure of angiosperm pollen from the Lower Cenomanian of the Morondova Basin, Madagascar. Grana, 42: 20-32.

Shang, Y. and M.S. Zavada. 2003. The ultrastructure of Cerebropollenites from the Jurassic and Cretaceous of Asia. Grana, 42: 102-107.

Zavada, M.S., DiMichele, L., and C. Toth. 2004. The demi-lichenization of Tremetes veriscolor II. The transfer of fixed 14CO2 from the aglal

    epiphyte to the fungus. Northeast Naturalist, 11: 33-40.

Zavada, M.S. 2004. The earliest occurrence of angiosperms in Southern Africa. South African Journal of Botany, 70: 646-653.

Zavada, M.S. 2004. Ultrastructure of Upper Paleozoic and Mesozoic monosulcate pollen from southern Africa and Asia. Palaeontologia

    Africana, 40: 59-68.

Zavada, M.S. 2007. The identification of fossil angiosperm pollen and its bearing on the time and place of origin of angiosperms. Pl. Syst. Evol.,

    263: 117-134.

Zavada, M.S., McGraw, S.M., and M.A. Miller. 2007. The role of clothing fabrics as passive pollen collectors in the northeastern United States.

    Grana (in press).

 

Popular & Educational Articles

Zavada, M. 1979. A cactus close to home. Connecticut Audobon Bulletin, 1(4): 3.

Zavada, M. 1980. Fossil plants of the Connecticut River Valley. Newsletter Connecticut Botanical Society, 8(3-4):1-2.

Zavada, M.S. and A. Cadman. 1987. People, pollen and pollinosis.  Allergy Update, 2/87:7-  8.

Zavada, M.S. and A. Cadman. 1987. A Pollen Calendar for Southern Africa. Allergy Update, 3/87: 1-2.

Cadman, A. and M.S. Zavada. 1987. Pollen Rain in the South African context. Allergy Update, 4/87: 6-8.

Zavada, M.S. 1993. Other things to do on a good dinosaur day. Plants and Planets, Lafayette Natural History Museum Newsletter, 17: 4-5.

Levesque, A. and M.S. Zavada 1998. Cycad-like fossils from the Molteno Formation of South Africa. Cycad Newsletter, 21: 6-8.

Zavada, M.S., Cox, R., Wang, Y.Q., Rakotondrazafy, A.F.M., Rambolamanana, G., Raveloson, A., and H. Razanatsoa. 2005.

     Identification and significance of human induced and natural erosion

     features (lavaka) on the high plateau. Ravintsara, 3: 3-4.

Zavada, M.S. 2007. Botanical Methods. Bent Tree Press, Reno, NV, 116 pgs.


Biography and Leisure reading

Born and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He received his B.S. and M.S. degree in Botany / Palynology from Arizona State University, Tempe. He received a B.A. in Slavic Languages, and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut, Storrs. He spent one year as a Fulbright Scholar in Skopje, Macedonia at the Geologic Institute, and the Center for Foreign Languages. He did post-doctoral work at Indiana University, Bloomington with David Dilcher and Ohio State University, Columbus with Tom Taylor. He has served on the faculties of The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, The University of Louisiana-Lafayette, was Professor and Chairman of the Department of Biology at Providence College, Providence, RI, and is currently the Chairman of Biological Sciences at East Tennessee State University and a member of the Center of Excellence in Paleontology. His field research has taken him throughout North America, South America, and Africa, including Madagascar. He has received over $ 1.5 million in grants including grants from the National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, NASA, American Philosophical Society, and National Geographic Society. He has published over 70 papers. In addition to his academic interests, he played baseball at Arizona State University, participates in a variety of sports, and outdoor activities, enjoys travel, and is an instrument rated private pilot.

 

Recent reads;

Cardozo, Bill, 1984. The Maltese Sangweech and other Heros, Atheneum

Chapman, M. 2001. The Drum Decade, Stories from the 1950’s. Natal Press, Scottsville.

Dillard, A. 1982. Teaching a stone to Talk, Harper and Rowe, NY.

Ferlinghetti, Lawrence. 1958. A Coney Island of the Mind. A New Directions Book.

Frankfurt, H.G. 2005. On Bullshit. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Lee, Bill “Spaceman”. 2003 The Little Red (Sox) Book. Triumph Books, Chicago.

Marquez, G.G. 2005. Memories of my Melancholy Whores. Knopf, NY

McBride, James. 1996. The Color of Water. Berkley Publ. Group, New York.

Saramago, J. 1997. Blindness. Harvest Books.

Smith, E.T. 2003. Playing Hard Ball, A Kent County Criketer’s Journey into Big League Baseball. ABACUS, London.

Some, P.M. 1998. The Healing Wisdom of Africa. Penguin, New York.

Sullivan, R. 2004. RATS: Observations on the History & Habitat of the City’s Most Unwanted Inhabitants. Bloomsbury, New York.