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Dr. Daniel Mulcahy

Dr. Daniel Mulcahy
  • Publications

    (*Undergraduate coauthor, ‡High school student coauthor)

    55. Miller AH, GR Zug, GOU Wogan, JL Lee, and DG Mulcahy. 2021. Phylogeny, Diversity, and Distribution of Micryletta (Anura: Microhylidae) in Myanmar. Ichthyology & Herpetology 109(1), 245–257. https://doi.org/10.1643/h2020100

    54. Mulcahy, DG, M Cota, S Makchai, and BL Stuart. 2021. Morphological and molecular evidence for significant range extension of Bronchocela burmana Blanford, 1878 to eastern Thailand. Herpetology Notes 14:485–491. https://www.biotaxa.org/hn/article/view/61754

    53. Macey, JR, S Pabinger, CG Barbieri, ES Buring, VG Gonzales, DG Mulcahy, DP DeMeo, L Urban, PM Hime, S Prost, AN Elliott, and NJ Gemmell. 2021. Evidence of two deeply divergent co-existing mitochondrial genomes in the Tuatara reveals an extremely complex genomic organization. Communications Biology 4, 116. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01639-0

    52. Bakkegard, KJ, D Johnson, and DG Mulcahy. 2020. A New Locality, Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, for the Rare Lizard Leiocephalus onaneyi (Guantánamo Striped Curlytail) and Notes on its Natural History. Caribbean Naturalist 79: 1–22.

    51. Gemmell, NJ, K Rutherford, S Prost, M Tollis, D Winter, JR Macey, DL Adelson, A Suh […] DG Mulcahy […] and Ngatiwai Trust Board. 2020. The tuatara genome reveals ancient features of amniote evolution. Nature 584: 403–409. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2561-9.

    50. Myers, EA and DG Mulcahy. 2020. Six additional mitochondrial genomes for North American nightsnakes (Dipsadidae: Hypsiglena) and a novel gene feature for advanced snakes. Mitochondrial DNA Part B, 5(3): 3074–3076. doi:10.1080/23802359.2020.1797573.

    49. Bell, RC, DG Mulcahy, SW Gotte, AJ Maley, C Mendoza, G Steffensen, J Barron, O Hyman, W Flint, A Wynn, RW McDiarmid, and DS Mcleod. 2020. The Type Locality Project: collecting genomic-quality, topotypic vouchers and training the next generation of specimens-based researchers. Systematics and Biodiversity 18(6): 557–572. doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2020.1769224.

    48. DeRycke, EG*, Gottscho AD, Mulcahy DG, and K de Queiroz. 2020. A new cryptic species of fringe-toed lizards from southwestern Arizona with a revised taxonomy of the Uma notata species complex (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae). Zootaxa 4778 (1): 067–100. doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4778.1.3

    47. Lee*, JL, AH Miller*, GR Zug, and DG Mulcahy. 2019. The discovery of Rock Geckos Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) in the Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar with the description of two new species. Zootaxa 4661(1): 40–64. doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4661.1.2

    46. Grismer, LL, PL Wood Jr., JL Grismer, N Thy, S Pimmachak, N Sivongxay, S Seateun, BL Stuart, CB Siler, DG Mulcahy, and RM Brown. 2019. Geographic structure of genetic variation in the Parachute Gecko Ptychozoon lionotum Annandale, 1905 across Indochina and Sundaland with descriptions of three new species. Zootaxa 4638(2): 151–198. doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4638.2.1

    45. Angeli, NF, Coles W, McKinley S, and DG Mulcahy. 2019. Introduction of an exotic constricting snake (Boa constrictor) and its establishment on St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. Herpetological Conservation and Biology 14(1): 288–296.

    44. Zug, GR, DG Mulcahy, JV Vindum, and JA Wilkinson. 2018. Anurans of the Tanintharyi Region, Myanmar: a preview of increasing species diversity Alytes 36: 266–275.

    43. Mulcahy, DG, JL Lee*, AH Miller*, M Chand, MK Thura, and GR Zug. 2018. Filling the BINs of Life: Report of an amphibian and reptile survey of the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region of Myanmar, with DNA barcode data. ZooKeys 757: 85–152. doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.757.24453

    42. Lee* JL, AH Miller*, GM Connette, K Swe Oo, GR Zug, DG Mulcahy. 2018. First record of the Malaysian Bridle Snake, Dryocalamus subannulatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854), in Myanmar (Reptilia, Serpentes, Colubridae). Check List 14 (2): 341–345. doi.org/10.15560/14.2.341

    41. Diechmann, J, DG Mulcahy, H Vanthomme, E Tobi, AH Wynn, BM Zimkus, and RW McDiarmid. 2017. How many species and under what names? Using DNA barcoding and GenBank data for West Central African amphibian conservation. PLOS ONE 12(11): e0187283. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187283

    40. Myers, EA, JL Burgoon*, JM Ray, JE Martinez-Gomez, N Matias-Ferrer, DG Mulcahy, FT Burbrink. 2017. Coalescent species tree inference of Coluber and Masticophis. COPEIA 105(4): 642–650. doi.org/10.1643/CH-16-552

    39. Mulcahy DG, Lee*, JL, AH Miller*, and GR Zug. 2017. Troublesome Trimes: Potential cryptic speciation of the Trimeresurus (Popeia) popeiorum complex (Serpentes: Crotalidae) around the Isthmus of Kra (Myanmar and Thailand). Zootaxa 4347(2): 301–315. http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4347.2.6

    38. Connette, GM, P Oswald, MK Thura, KJ LaJeunesse Connette, M Songer, G Zug, and DG Mulcahy. 2017. Rapid forest clearing in a Myanmar proposed national park threatens two newly discovered species of geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus). PLOS ONE 12(4): e0174432. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174432 nationalzoo.si.edu/news/

    37. Zug, GR, DG Mulcahy, JV Vindum. 2017. Resurrection of Bronchocela burmana Blanford, 1878 for the Green Crested Lizard (Squamata, Agamidae) of southern Myanmar. Zookeys 657: 141–156. doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.657.11600

    36. Mulcahy, DG, KS Macdonald III, SG Brady, C Meyer, K Barker, and J Coddington. 2016. Greater than X kb: A quantitative assessment of preservation conditions on genomic DNA quality, and a proposed standard for genome-quality DNA. PeerJ 4: e2528. doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2528.

    35. Lee, JL, A Thompson*, and DG Mulcahy. 2016. Relationships between numbers of vertebrae, scale counts, and body size, with implications for taxonomy in Nightsnakes (Genus: Hypsiglena). Journal of Herpetology 50(4):616–620. doi.org/10.1670/15-066.  

    34. Droege G, Barker K, Seberg O, Coddington J, Benson EE, Berendsohn WG, Bunk B, Butler C, Cawsey EM, Deck J, Döring M, Flemons P, Gemeinholzer B, Güntsch A, Hollowell T, Kelbert P, Kostadinov I, Kottmann R, Lawlor RT, Lyal C, Mackenzie-Dodds J, Meyer C, Mulcahy DG, Nussbeck SY, Tuama ÉÓ, Orrell T, Petersen G, Robertson T, Söhngen C, Whitacre J, Wieczorek J, Yilmaz P, Zetzsche H, Zhang Y, Zhou X. 2016. The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) Data standard specification. Database 2016: baw125. doi.org/10.1093/database/baw125.

    33. Schachat, S, DG Mulcahy, and JR Mendelson III. 2016. Conservation threats and the utility of IUCN Red List rankings in Incilius toads. Conservation Biology 30(1): 72–81. doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12567.

    32. Jezkova, T, JR Jaeger, V Olah-Hemmings, KB Jones, RA Lara-Resendiz, DG Mulcahy, and BR Riddle. 2016. Range and niche shifts in response to past climate change in the desert horned lizard Phrynosoma platyrhinos. Ecography 39: 437–448. DOI: 10.1111/ecog.01464   Smithsonian Science News

    31. Lee‡, JL, MK Thura, DG Mulcahy, and GR Zug. 2015. Three Colubrid Snakes New to Myanmar. Herpetology Notes 8:217–220.

    30. Reeder, TW, TM Townsend, DG Mulcahy, BP Noonan, PL Wood, Jr., JW Sites, Jr., and JJ Wiens. 2015. Integrated analyses resolve conflicts over squamate reptile phylogeny and reveal unexpected placements for fossil taxa. PLOS ONE 10(3): e0118199.

    29. Mulcahy, DG, JE Martínez-Gómez, G Aguirre-León, JA Cervantes-Pasqualli, and GR Zug. 2014. Rediscovery of an endemic vertebrate from the remote Islas Revillagigedo in the eastern Pacific Ocean: The Clarión Nightsnake, with conservation and systematic implications. PLOS ONE 9(5):e97682 doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0097682 Media: BBC, NPR, Why Evolution is True, Scientific American, Notable Smithsonian Publications 2014, Altmetric.

    28. Weisrock, DW, JR Macey, M Matsui, DG Mulcahy, and TJ Papenfuss. 2013. Molecular phylogenetic reconstruction of the endemic Asian salamander family Hynobiidae (Amphibia, Caudata). Zootaxa 3626(1): 077–093.

    27. Wiens, JJ, C Hutter, DG Mulcahy, BP Noonan, TM Townsend, JW Sites, Jr., and TW Reeder. 2012. Resolving the phylogeny of lizards and snakes (Squamata) with extensive sampling of genes and species. Biology Letters 8: 1043–1046.

    26. Mulcahy, DG, BP Noonan, T Moss*, TM Townsend, TW Reeder, JW Sites, Jr., and JJ Wiens. 2012. Estimating divergence dates and evaluating dating methods using phylogenomic and mitochondrial data in squamate reptiles. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65(3): 974–991.

    25. Mendelson, JR III, DG Mulcahy, S Snell*, ME Acevedo, and JC Campbell. 2012. A New Golden Toad (Bufonidae: Incilius) from Northwestern Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico. Journal of Herpetology 46(4): 473–479.

    24. Avila-Pires, TCS, DG Mulcahy, FP Werneck, and JW Sites, Jr. 2012. Phylogeography of the teiid lizard Kentropics calcarata and the sphaerodactylid Gonatodes humeralis (Reptilia: Squamata): Testing a geological scenario for the Lower Amazon-Tocantins basins, Amazonia, Brazil. Herpetologica 68(2): 272–287.

    23. Swei, A, et al., [33 co-authors]. 2011. Is chytridiomycosis an emerging amphibian disease in Asia? PLOS ONE 6(8): e23179.

    22. Mulcahy, DG, TH Beckstead*, and JW Sites, Jr. 2011. Molecular systematics of the Leptodeirini (Colubroidea, Dipsadidae) revisited: species-tree analyses and multi-locus data. Copeia 2011(3): 407–417.

    21. Mendelson, JR III, DG Mulcahy, ST Williams*, and JW Sites, Jr. 2011. A phylogeny and evolutionary natural history of Mesoamerican toads (Anura: Bufonidae). Zootaxa 3138: 1–34.

    20. Heideman, N, DG Mulcahy, JW Sites, Jr., MGJ Hendricks, and SR Daniels. 2011. Cryptic diversity and morphological convergence in threatened species of fossorial skinks in the genus Scelotes (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Western Cape Coast of South Africa: Implications for species boundaries, digit reduction and conservation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 61(3): 823–833.

    19. Townsend, TM, DG Mulcahy, BP Noonan, JW Sites, Jr., CA Kuczynski, JJ Wiens, and TW Reeder. 2011. Phylogeny of iguanian lizards inferred from 29 nuclear loci, and a comparison of concatenated and species-tree approaches for an ancient, rapid radiation. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 61(2): 363–380.

    18. Wiens, JJ, CA Kuczynski, TM Townsend, TW Reeder, DG Mulcahy, and JW Sites, Jr. 2010. Combining phylogenomics and fossils in higher-level squamate phylogeny: molecular data change the placement of fossil taxa. Systematic Biology 59(6): 674–688.

    17. Mendelson, JR III and DG Mulcahy. 2010. A new species of toad (Bufonidae: Incilius) from Central Panama. Zootaxa 2396: 61–68.

    16. Reyes-Velasco*, J. and D. G. Mulcahy. 2010. Additional taxonomic remarks on the genus Pseudoleptodeira (Serpentes: Colubridae) and the phylogenetic placement of “P. uribei.” Herpetologica 66(1): 99–110.

    15. Mulcahy, DG and JR Macey. 2009. Vicariance and dispersal form a ring distribution in nightsnakes around the Gulf of California. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53(2): 537–546.

    14. Wiens, JJ, CA Kuczynski, SA Smith, DG Mulcahy, JW Sites Jr., TM Townsend, and TW Reeder. 2008. Branch lengths, support, and congruence: Testing the phylogenomic approach with 20 nuclear loci in snakes. Systematic Biology 57(3): 420–431.

    13. Mulcahy, DG. 2008. Phylogeography and species boundaries of the western North American nightsnake (Hypsiglena torquata): Revisiting the subspecies concept. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46(3): 1095–1115.

    12. Leaché, AD and DG Mulcahy. 2007. Phylogeny, divergence times and species limits of spiny lizards (Sceloporus magister species group) in western North American deserts and Baja California. Molecular Ecology 16(24): 5216–5233. doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03556.x

    11. Mulcahy, DG 2007. Molecular systematics of neotropical cat-eyed snakes: a test of the monophyly of Leptodeirini (Colubridae: Dipsadinae) with implications for character evolution and biogeography. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 92(3): 483–500.

    10. Mulcahy, DG, A Spaulding, JR Mendelson, and ED Brodie, Jr. 2006a. Phylogeography of the Flat-tailed Horned lizard (Phrynosoma mcallii) and systematics of the P. mcallii–platyrhinos mtDNA complex. Molecular Ecology 15(7): 1807–1826. doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.02892.x

    9. Mulcahy, DG, Morrill*, BH, and JR Mendelson, III. 2006b. Historical biogeography of lowland species of toads (Bufo) across the Trans-Mexican Neovolcanic Belt and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Journal of Biogeography 33(11): 1889–1904.

    8. Mendelson, JR III, B Williams, CA Sheil, and DG Mulcahy. 2005. Systematics of the Bufo coccifer complex (Anura: Bufonidae) of Mesoamerica. Scientific Papers, University of Kansas Natural History Museum 38: 1–27.

    7. Brodie III, ED, CR Feldman, CT Hanifin, JE Motychak, DG Mulcahy, B Williams, ED Brodie, Jr. 2005. Parallel arms races between garter snakes and newts involving tetrodotoxin as the phenotypic interface of coevolution. Journal of Chemical Ecology 31(2): 343–356.

    6. Lips, KR, JR Mendelson III, A Muñoz-Alonso, L Canseco-Márquez, and DG Mulcahy. 2004. Amphibian population declines in montane southern Mexico: resurveys of historical localities. Biological Conservation 119(2004): 555–564.

    5. Mulcahy, DG and MA Archibald*. 2003. Geographic variation in the Baja California nightsnake (Eridiphas slevini), with comments on taxonomy and diet. Journal of Herpetology 37(3): 566–571.

    4. Setser, K, JM Meik*, and DG Mulcahy. 2002. Herpetofauna of the southern Snake Range of Nevada and surrounding valleys. Western North American Naturalist 62(2): 234–239.

    3. Mulcahy, DG, MR Cummer, JR Mendelson III, BL Williams, and PC Ustach. 2002. Status and distribution of two species of Bufo in the Northeastern Bonneville Basin of Idaho and Utah. Herpetological Review 33(4): 287–289.

    2. Mulcahy, DG and JR Mendelson, III. 2000. Phylogeography and speciation of the morphologically variable, widespread species Bufo valliceps based on molecular evidence from mtDNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 17(2): 173–189.

    1. Rodríguez-Robles, JA, DG Mulcahy*, and HW Greene. 1999. The feeding ecology of the desert night snake Hypsiglena torquata (Colubridae). Copeia 1999(1): 93–100.

  • Curriculum Vitae

    Appointments

    Sept 2020–present: Head of Genomic Tissue and DNA Collections, Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz-Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science, Berlin, Germany

    Jan 2015–August 2020: Biological Science Laboratory Technician, Global Genome Initiative, National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), Washington, DC, USA

    Jan 2011–Dec 2014: Laboratory Technician, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA

    Jan–May 2012: Lecturer, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA

    Aug 2009–Aug 2010: Postdoctoral Fellow, NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC, USA

    Oct 2006–Jul 2009: Postdoctoral Researcher, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA

    Education

    2006 PhD in Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA

    1998 BA in Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA

    1991–95 Santa Monica Community College, Santa Monica, CA, USA

  • Task

    Manage Genomic Tissue and DNA Collections.

    Research

    My interests are in biodiversity, natural history, and conservation of all living organisms. For my current research, I am focusing on speciation, biodiversity, biogeography, and conservation. I primarily work on amphibians and reptiles and apply morphological, molecular, ecological, and life-history data to study the natural history of organisms and their evolutionary responses to the environment. I am interested in public engagement, and educating the public and young scientists in evolution, conservation, and biodiversity discovery of life on earth. My work supports museum sciences, particularly natural history museums, research collections, and biobanking genomic resources for current and future research.

    Publications (selection)

    Mulcahy, DG, RD Ibáñez, CA Jaramillo, AJ Crawford, JM Ray, SW Gotte, JF Jacobs, AH Wynn, GP Gonzalez-Porter, RW McDiarmid, RI Crombie, GR Zug, and K de Queiroz. 2022. DNA Barcoding of the National Museum of Natural History reptile tissue holdings raises concerns about the use of natural history collections and the responsibilities of scientists in the molecular age. PLoS ONE 17(3):e0264930. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0264930

    Macey, JR, S Pabinger, CG Barbieri, ES Buring, VG Gonzales, DG Mulcahy, DP DeMeo, L Urban, PM Hime, S Prost, AN Elliott, and NJ Gemmell. 2021. Evidence of two deeply divergent co-existing mitochondrial genomes in the Tuatara reveals an extremely complex genomic organization. Communications Biology 4, 116. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-020-01639-0

    Gemmell, NJ, K Rutherford, S Prost, M Tollis, D Winter, JR Macey, DL Adelson, A Suh […] DG Mulcahy […] and Ngatiwai Trust Board. 2020. The tuatara genome reveals ancient features of amniote evolution. Nature 584:403–409. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2561-9.

    Myers, EA and DG Mulcahy. 2020. Six additional mitochondrial genomes for North American nightsnakes (Dipsadidae: Hypsiglena) and a novel gene feature for advanced snakes. Mitochondrial DNA Part B, 5(3):3074–3076. doi:10.1080/23802359.2020.1797573.

    Bell, RC, DG Mulcahy, SW Gotte, AJ Maley, C Mendoza, G Steffensen, J Barron, O Hyman, W Flint, A Wynn, RW McDiarmid, and DS Mcleod. 2020. The Type Locality Project: collecting genomic-quality, topotypic vouchers and training the next generation of specimens-based researchers. Systematics and Biodiversity 18(6):557–572. doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2020.1769224.

    Mulcahy, DG, JL Lee, AH Miller, M Chand, MK Thura, and GR Zug. 2018. Filling the BINs of Life: Report of an amphibian and reptile survey of the Tanintharyi (Tenasserim) Region of Myanmar, with DNA barcode data. ZooKeys 757: 85–152. doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.757.24453.

    Mulcahy, DG, KS Macdonald III, SG Brady, C Meyer, K Barker, and J Coddington. 2016. Greater than X kb: A quantitative assessment of preservation conditions on genomic DNA quality, and a proposed standard for genome-quality DNA. PeerJ 4: e2528. doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2528.

    Droege G, Barker K, Seberg O, Coddington J, Benson EE, Berendsohn WG, Bunk B, Butler C, Cawsey EM, Deck J, Döring M, Flemons P, Gemeinholzer B, Güntsch A, Hollowell T, Kelbert P, Kostadinov I, Kottmann R, Lawlor RT, Lyal C, Mackenzie-Dodds J, Meyer C, Mulcahy D, Nussbeck SY, Tuama ÉÓ, Orrell T, Petersen G, Robertson T, Söhngen C, Whitacre J, Wieczorek J, Yilmaz P, Zetzsche H, Zhang Y, Zhou X. 2016. The Global Genome Biodiversity Network (GGBN) Data standard specification. Database 2016: baw125. doi.org/10.1093/database/baw125.

    Schachat, S, DG Mulcahy, and JR Mendelson III. 2016. Conservation threats and the utility of IUCN Red List rankings in Incilius toads. Conservation Biology 30(1): 72–81. doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12567.