Prof. Richard Brown
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Job Title | Professor of Animal Evolution |
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Telephone Qualifications |
2159 BSc (Hons) Zoology, PhD, DSc | |
| Email Address | r.p.brown (DOMAIN NAME: ljmu DOT ac DOT uk) | |
| Contact Address | Room 342, James Parsons Building, Byrom St. Liverpool. L3 3AF | |
Academic Profile
1998-Present School of Natural Sciences & Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University 1993-1998 School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences, Liverpool JMU 1992-1993 Post-doctoral fellowship, Canary Islands Government 1990-1992 Post-doctoral fellowship, Royal Society
Teaching:
Modules include: Genetics & Evolution, Quantitative Methods, Human Variation & Adaptability (BIEBL2031)
Research:
Why do different populations of the same species differ morphologically and/or genetically? My research primarily centres on reconstructing species historical biogeographies using genetic markers, as well as examining the current factors that maintain these geographical patterns. I am particularly interested in the evolution of island animals. In the Canary Islands, volcanic events seem to have led to considerable differentiation among reptile populations over quite small geographical distances.
In a recent paper (Cox et al., 2010) we used mtDNA and geological data to infer when the Canary Islands were colonized by Gallotia lizards, and how they subsequently dispersed across these volcanic islands. The whole process started some 20 million years ago, just after the appearance of the most eastern islands. Newly emerged islands don't seem to have remained vacant for long. Each inferred island colonization date was generally quite soon after the island appeared.
Gallotia stehlini from Gran Canaria:
Publications
Brown, R. P., Z. Yang. 2011. Rate variation and estimation of divergence times using strict and relaxed clocks. BMC Evolutionary Biology 59(2): 119-131. DOI:10.1186/1471-2148-11-271. http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2148/11/271
Bloor, P., V. Rodríguez, B. Terrasa, R. P. Brown, V. Pérez-Mellado, J. A. Castro, A. Picornell and M. M. Ramon. 2011. Polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Balearic Island Lizard Podarcis lilfordi (Squamata: Lacertidae). Conservation Genetics Resources 3: 323-325. DOI: 10.1007/s12686-010-9354-7.
Brown, R. P., Z. Yang. 2010. Bayesian dating of shallow phylogenies with a relaxed clock. Systematic Biology 59(2): 119-131. PDF
Cox, S. C., S. Carranza, R. P. Brown. 2010. Divergence times and colonization of the Canary Islands by Gallotia lizards. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 56: 747-757. PDF
Tejangkura, T., R. P. Brown. 2010. Ten novel microsatellite loci from the Gran Canarian gecko, Tarentola boettgeri, and their applicability in other Tarentola. Molecular Ecology Resources. Manuscript: PDF. Reference PDF. MER database entries: 44153-44162.
Terrasa, B., V. Rodríguez, V.Pérez-Mellado, A. Picornell, R. P. Brown, J. A. Castro, M. M. Ramon. 2009. Use of NCPA to understanding genetic sub-structuring of Podarcis lilfordi from the Balearic archipelago. Amphibia-Reptilia http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/brill/amre/2009/00000030/00000004/art00007?crawler=true
Terrasa, B, V. Pérez-Mellado, R. P. Brown, J.A. Castro, A. Picornell, M.M. Ramon. 2009. Foundations for conservation of intraspecific genetic diversity revealed by analysis of phylogeographical structure in the endangered endemic lizard Podarcis lilfordi. Diversity & Distributions Vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 207-221. Mar 2009. PDF
Brown, R. P. and T. Au. 2009. The influence of metabolic heat production on body temperature in a small lizard, Anolis carolinensis. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology - Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology 153: 181-184. PDF.
Brown, R. P., B. Terrasa, V. Pérez-Mellado, J.A. Castro, P.A. Hoskisson, A. Picornell, M.M. Ramon. 2008. Bayesian estimation of post-Messinian divergence times in Balearic Island lizards. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 48: 350–358. PDF
Bloor, P., S. J. Kemp, and R. P. Brown. 2008. Recent volcanism and mitochondrial DNA structuring in the lizard Gallotia atlantica from the island of Lanzarote. Molecular Ecology 17(3): 854–866. (doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03575.x) PDF
Jin Y-T., R. P. Brown, N-F Liu. 2008. Cladogenesis and phylogeography of the lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii(Agamidae) on the Tibetan plateau. Molecular Ecology 17: 1971-1982. (doi: 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03721.x). PDF
Suárez, N. M., P. Bloor, R. P. Brown and J. Pestano. 2008. Highly polymorphic microsatellite loci for the Gran Canarian skink (Chalcides sexlineatus) and their applicability in other Canarian Chalcides. Molecular Ecology Resources 8: 666–668. PDF
Salvador A., J. A. Díaz , J. P.Veiga, P. Bloor, and R. P. Brown. 2008. Correlates of reproductive success in male lizards of the alpine species Iberolacerta cyreni.Behavioral Ecology 19: 169-176. (doi:10.1093/beheco/arm118). PDF
Brown, R. P. & N. Roberts. 2008. Feeding state and selected body temperatures in the slowworm (Anguis fragilis). Herpetological Journal 18: 59-62. PDF
Perera, A., Vasconcelos, R., Harris, D. J., Brown, R. P., Carretero, M. A., Pérez-Mellado, V. 2007. Complex patterns of morphological and mtDNA variation in Lacerta perspicillata (Reptilia; Lacertidae). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 90: 479-490. PDF
Brown, R. P., P. A. Hoskisson, J. H. Welton, and M. Báez. 2006. Geological history and within-island diversity: a debris avalanche and the Tenerife lizard Gallotia galloti. Molecular Ecology15 (12): 3631-3640 PDF.
Brown, R. P., Griffin, S. 2005. Lower selected body temperatures after food deprivation in the lizard Anolis carolinensis. Journal of Thermal Biology 30: 79-83. PDF.
Brown, R. P. 2005. Large subunit mitochondrial rRNA secondary structures and site-specific rate variation in two lizard lineages. Journal of Molecular Evolution 60: 45-56. PDF
Bloor, P. and R. P. Brown. 2005. Morphological variation in Gallotia atlantica from the volcanic island of Lanzarote: subspecies designations and recent lava flows. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 85 (3), 395-406. PDF
Molina O., R. P. Brown, et al. 2003. The origin of the Osorian shrew (Crocidura osorio) from Gran Canaria resolved using mtDNA. Ital. J. Zoology 70 (2): 179-181. PDF
Pestano, J., R. P. Brown, N. M. Suarez, S. Fajardo. 2003. Phylogeography of pipistrelle-like bats in the Canary Islands based on mtDNA sequences. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 26: 56-63. PDF
Pestano, J., R. P. Brown, N. M. Suarez and S. Fajardo. 2003. Intraspecific evolution of Canary Island Plecotine bats, based on mtDNA sequences. Heredity 90: 302-307. PDF
Pestano, J., R. P. Brown, N. M. Suarez and M. Báez. 2003. Diversification of sympatric Sapromyza (Diptera: Lauxaniidae) from Madeira: six morphological species but only four mtDNA lineages. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution. PDF
Brown, R. P., J. Pestano, and N. M. Suarez. 2002. The Atlas mountains as a biogeographical divide in North-West Africa: evidence from mtDNA evolution in the Agamid lizard Agama impalearis. Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 24: 324-332. PDF
Brown, R. P., J. Pestano, N. M. Suarez and A. Smith. 2001. Phylogeography of Cape Verde Island skinks (Mabuya). Molecular Ecology 10: 1593-1597. PDF
Brown, R. P., R. Campos-Delgado and J. Pestano 2000. Mitochondrial DNA evolution and population history of the Tenerife skink Chalcides viridanus. Molecular Ecology 9(8): 1061-1069. PDF
Pestano, J., R. P. Brown., F. Rodríguez, and A. C. Moreno 2000. MtDNA control region diversity in the blue chaffinch, Fringilla teydea. Molecular Ecology 9(9): 1421-1427.
Brown, R. P. , M. Znari, E. H. El Mouden and P. Harris. 1999. Estimating asymptotic size and geographic variation in Agama impalearis from Morocco. Ecography 22: 277-284 PDF.
Pestano, J. and R. P. Brown.1999. Geographical structuring of mtDNA in Chalcides sexlineatus within the island of Gran Canaria. Proceedings of the Royal Society (Lond.) B: Biological Sciences 266: 815-823.PDF
El Mouden, E. H., M. Znari and R. P.Brown. 1999. Skeletochronology and mark-recapture assessments of growth in the North African agamid lizard, Agama impalearis. J. Zoology (Lond.) 249: 455-461. PDF
Brown, R. P. and J. Pestano.1998. Phylogeography of Canary Island skinks inferred from mtDNA sequences. Molecular Ecology 7: 1183-1191. PDF
Brown, R. P. and M. Znari. 1998. Geographic variation in Agama impalearis from Morocco: evidence for historical population vicariance and current climatic effects. Ecography 21: 605-612. PDF
Báez, M. & R. P. Brown. 1997. Testing multivariate patterns of within-island differentiation in Podarcis dugesii from Madeira. J. Evol. Biol. 10: 575-587. PDF
Brown, R. P. 1997. Testing for heterogeneity among phenotypic correlations: a comparison of methods using Monte Carlo simulations. Genetica 101: 67-74. PDF
A couple of older papers (please email requests for other pre-1997 papers not listed here):
Brown, R. P., R. S. Thorpe and M. Baez. 1991. Parallel within-island microevolution in lizards from neighbouring islands. Nature 352: 60-62. PDF
Brown, R. P., & R. S. Thorpe. 1991. Within-island geographic variation in the colour pattern of the skink Chalcides sexlineatus: Pattern and cause. J. Evol. Biol. 4: 557-574. PDF
Brown, R. P. Thermal biology of the gecko Tarentola boettgeri......Herpetologica 1996 52(3): 396-405. PDF
