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Research Statement Overview: Second, I study the ecology and evolution of chemical defense in birds. Most of my research has focused on two avian genera, Pitohui and Ifrita, which comprise seven endemic New Guinean passerine species that carry potent steroidal alkaloid neurotoxins known as batrachotoxins. I have used a variety of field and laboratory techniques, and my ongoing research involves 1) chemical isolation, characterization, and quantification of defensive chemicals from avian genera Pitohui and Ifrita, 2) ecological studies of Pitohui parasites and predators, 3) radio-telemetry studies of Pitohui diet and home range use, and as mentioned above, 4) studies of the evolution of toxicity and Müllerian mimicry in toxic New Guinean birds. Education: 1. A. Mack and J. P. Dumbacher. 2007. Birds of Papua. pp. 654-688 in A. J. Marshall and B. M. Beehler, Eds., The Ecology of Papua. Washington, Conservation International. 2. B. S. Arbogast, J. P. Dumbacher, S. J. Steppan, S. P. Courtney, and L. A. Sztukowski. 2006. Evaluation of scientific information regarding Preble's meadow jumping mouse. Sustainable Ecosystems Institute, Portland, Oregon. (Report submitted by Sustainable Ecosystems Institute to US Fish and Wildlife Service, July 20, 2006.) 3. R. C. Fleischer, J. J. Kirchman, J. P. Dumbacher, et al. 2006. Mid-Pleistocene divergence of Cuban and North American ivory-billed woodpeckers. Biology Letters, doi:10.1098/rsbl.2006.0490. 4. A. L. Topf, M. T. Gilbert, J. P. Dumbacher, and A. R. Hoelzel. 2006. Tracing the phylogeography of human populations in Britain based on 4th-11th century mtDNA genotypes. Mol. Biol. Evol. 23(1): 152-161. 5. J.P. Dumbacher. 2005. "Batrachotoxin" in Encyclopedia of Toxicology (Wexler P), 2nd edition. Oxford. Elsevier. pp. 215-17. 6. Beadell, J. S., E. Gering, J. Austin, J. P. Dumbacher, M. A. Peirce, T. K. Pratt, C. A. Atkinson, and R. C. Fleischer. 2004. Prevalence and differential host-specificity of two avian blood parasite genera in the Australo-Papuan region. Molecular Ecology 13: 3829-3844. 7. J. P. Dumbacher, A. Wako, S. R. Derrickson, A. Samuelson, T. F. Spande, and J. W. Daly. 2004. Melyrid beetles ( Choresine): A putative source for the batrachotoxin alkaloids found in poison-dart frogs and toxic passerine birds. PNAS, 101(45): 15857-15860. (Article at PNAS)(PNAS) 8. S. P. Courtney, J. A. Blakesley, R. E. Bigley, M. L. Cody, J. P. Dumbacher, R. C. Fleischer, A. B. Franklin, J. F. Franklin, R. J. Gutiérrez, J. M. Marzluff, L. Sztukowski. 2004. Scientific evaluation of the status of the Northern Spotted Owl. Sustainable Ecosystems Institute, Portland, Oregon. (PDFs available here) 9. J. P. Dumbacher, T. K. Pratt and R. C. Fleischer. 2003. Phylogeny of the owlet-nightjars (Aves: Aegothelidae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequence, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 29: 540-549. (PDF) (Nexus data matrix) 10. J. P. Dumbacher and R. C. Fleischer. 2001. Phylogenetic evidence for colour-pattern convergence in toxic pitohuis: Müllerian mimicry in birds? Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biology, 268: 1971-1976. (PDF) (Nexus data matrix) 11. L. Shapiro and J. P. Dumbacher. 2001. Adenylate kinase intron 5: A new nuclear locus for avian systematics. The Auk, 118(1): 248-255. (Full text from BioOne) 12. J. P. Dumbacher, T. Spande, and J. W. Daly. 2000. Batrachotoxin alkaloids from passerine birds: A second toxic bird genus ( Ifrita kowaldi ). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 97(24): 12970–12975. (PDF) 13. J. P. Dumbacher. 1999. The evolution of toxicity in Pitohuis : I. Effects of homobatrachotoxin on chewing lice (Order Phthiraptera). The Auk 116 (4): 957-963. (PDF - high resolution [4Mb])(PDF - low resolution [512 kb]) 14. R. Visnak and J. P. Dumbacher. 1999. Comparison of four fumigants for removing avian lice. Journal of Field Ornithology, 70 (1): 42-48. 15. J. P. Dumbacher. 1997. The ecology and evolution of chemical defense in the avian genus Pitohui . Ph.D. Thesis. University of Chicago. 16. J. P. Dumbacher and S. Pruett-Jones. 1996. Avian chemical defense. Current Ornithology, 13 : 137-174. (PDF - high resolution [14 Mb]) (PDF - low resolution [1.5 Mb]) 17. B. M. Beehler and J. P. Dumbacher. 1996. More examples of fruiting trees visited predominantly by birds of paradise. Emu, 96 : 81-88. 18. J. P. Dumbacher, B. M. Beehler, T. F. Spande, H. M. Garraffo, and J. W. Daly. 1993. Pitohui: How toxic and to whom? Science, 259 : 582-583. (PDF) 19. J. P. Dumbacher, B. M. Beehler, T. F. Spande, H. M. Garraffo, and J. W. Daly. 1992. Homobatrachotoxin in the genus Pitohui: Chemical defense in birds? Science, 258: 799-801. (PDF) 20. J. P. Dumbacher. 1991. Bird life of Kagi, Central Province. Muruk (Journal of the Papua New Guinea Bird Society), 5(1): 19-21. 21. B. M. Beehler and J. P. Dumbacher. 1990. Interesting observations of birds at Varirata National Park, June - July 1990. Muruk, 4(3): 111. Expedition Blogs: A note about the popular press... Pitohuis, Ifritas, and more recently, Choresine beetles are charismatic and interesting animals that have received a great deal of notoriety and press. The amount of mis-information circulating about them in the popular press disappoints me, and so I am attempting to make all of my peer-reviewed publications available to folks who would like them. If there is no link to the PDF, then you may send an email requesting a paper, and I will gladly email a PDF reprint. DO NOT take as fact anything that is said in the popular press - even if it is in quotes and attributed directly to me. Despite my efforts to share correct information with the press, articles are rarely sent to me to be proofread, and popular writers are often mistaken about various facts, they compound errors committed by other popular writers, and they even sometimes completely fabricate quotes. View my old website at The Smithsonian Institution's molecular genetics lab rev 10/25/2007 |
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