Zoology

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

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Richard H. Thomas

Education and Positions:

1977: BA, Univ. of Texas, Austin
1979: MSc, Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks
1985: PhD, Univ. of Arizona, Tucson

1985 - 87: Postdoctoral Fellow, Univ. of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia
1987 - 89: Postdoctoral Fellow, Univ. of Hawaii, Manoa
1989 - 90: Ashton Hamlyn Fellow [NHM], based at Univ. of Nottingham
1990 - 2004: Dept of Zoology, Natural History Museum, London
2004 - present: Dept. of Zoology, Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale

  

Research interests:

I am interested in the evolution of genetic systems and in the evolution and maintenance of sexual reproduction. We are characterising the genome of a species of a putatively asexual higher taxon of mites to better understand the factors maintaining sexual reproduction in the vast majority of metazoan lineages. I am also interested in the evolution of arthropod body form and particularly of chelicerate arthropods. We are using modern molecular techniques to study the development of mites and tardigrades.

 

Current projects:
  • Characterisation of the Hox cluster of a model chelicerate arthropod.
  • A molecular genetic analysis of development in tardigrades and comparisons with Arthropoda.
  • Characterisation of an ancient asexual mite species: a genetic window on the maintenance of sexual reproduction.
  • Colonisation, radiation and decline: reconstructing the history of island faunas using phylogenies of living and recently extinct Mascarene reptiles based on morphological and molecular data sets (with Dr E.N. Arnold)
 

Professional honors and achievements:

  • Molecular Biology and Evolution: Associate Editor (1997-present)
  • University of Nottingham, Special Lecturer in Genetics (1995-present)
  • Heredity: Editorial Board (1995-1998)
  • Systematics Association, member of Council (1994-1996)
  • University College, London, Galton Laboratory, Department of Biology: Honorary Research Fellow (1992-present)
 

Selected publications:

    Cruickshank R H & THOMAS RH 1999. Evolution of uniparental genetic systems in dermanyssine mites (Acari: Mesostigmata). (submitted).

    THOMAS R H & Telford M J 1999. Appendage development in embryos of the oribatid mite, Archegozetes longisetosus (Acari, Oribatei, Trhypochthoniidae). Acta Zoologica (accepted).

    Telford M J & THOMAS R H 1998. Expression of homeobox genes show chelicerate arthropods retain their deutocerebral segment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 95:10671-10675.

    Telford M J & THOMAS R H 1998. Of mites and zen: Expression studies in a chelicerate arthropod confirm zen is a divergent Hox gene. Development, Genes and Evolution 208:591-594.

    Harris D J, Arnold E N & THOMAS R H 1998. Rapid speciation, morphological evolution and adaptation to extreme environments in South African sand lizards (Meroles) as revealed by mitochondrial gene sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 10:37-48.

    Fortey R A & THOMAS R H (eds.) 1997 Arthropod Relationships. Chapman and Hall, London.

    Austin J J, Ross A J, Smith A B, Fortey R A & THOMAS R H 1997. Problems of reproducibility: does geologically ancient DNA survive in amber preserved insects? Proceedings of the Royal Society, London, Series B 264:467-474.

    Terrett J A, Miles S & THOMAS R H 1996. The mitochondrial genome of Cepaea nemoralis: complete sequence and genome organization. Journal of Molecular Evolution 42:160-168.

    THOMAS R H & Hunt J A 1993. Phylogenetic relationships in the genus Drosophila: A conflict between molecular and morphological data. Molecular Biology and Evolution 10:362-374.

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SIUC Department of Zoology

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    Last updated: 13-Jul-2005