Kristofer M. Helgen
A5031631941- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
- Marine animal studies overview
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Indigenous Studies and Ecology
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Gut microbiota and health
- Pacific and Southeast Asian Studies
- Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock
- Viral Infections and Vectors
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Human-Animal Interaction Studies
- Vector-borne infectious diseases
Australian Museum
2018-2025
Curtin University
2024
Museums Victoria
2024
Monash University
2024
UNSW Sydney
2020-2024
The University of Adelaide
2003-2023
Australian Research Council
2017-2023
Environmental Earth Sciences
2021
Bush Heritage Australia
2020
South Australian Museum
2003-2019
Knowledge of mammalian diversity is still surprisingly disparate, both regionally and taxonomically. Here, we present a comprehensive assessment the conservation status distribution world's mammals. Data, compiled by 1700+ experts, cover all 5487 species, including marine Global macroecological patterns are very different for land species but suggest common mechanisms driving endemism across systems. Compared with threat levels higher among mammals, driven processes (accidental mortality...
The human genome project has been recently complemented by whole-genome assessment sequence of 32 mammals and 24 nonmammalian vertebrate species suitable for comparative genomic analyses. Here we anticipate a precipitous drop in costs increase sequencing efficiency, with concomitant development improved annotation technology and, therefore, propose to create collection tissue DNA specimens 10 000 specifically designated the very near future. For this purpose, we, Genome 10K Community...
A full understanding of primate morphological and genomic evolution requires the identification their closest living relative. In order to resolve ancestral relationships among primates relatives, we searched multispecies genome alignments for phylogenetically informative rare changes within superordinal group Euarchonta, which includes orders Primates, Dermoptera (colugos), Scandentia (treeshrews). We also constructed phylogenetic trees from 14 kilobases nuclear genes representatives most...
November 2020 marked 2 y since the launch of Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), which aims to sequence all known eukaryotic species in a 10-y timeframe. Since then, significant progress has been made across aspects EBP roadmap, as outlined 2018 article describing project’s goals, strategies, and challenges (1). The phase ended clock started on reaching EBP’s major milestones. This Special Feature explores many facets EBP, including review progress, description scientific exemplar projects,...
The koala, the only extant species of marsupial family Phascolarctidae, is classified as 'vulnerable' due to habitat loss and widespread disease. We sequenced koala genome, producing a complete contiguous reference including centromeres. reveal that koala's ability detoxify eucalypt foliage may be expansions within cytochrome P450 gene family, its smell, taste moderate ingestion plant secondary metabolites in vomeronasal receptors. characterized novel lactation proteins protect young pouch...
We describe a species of Hoolock gibbon (Primates: Hylobatidae) that is new to science from eastern Myanmar and southwestern China. The genus hoolock gibbons comprises two previously described living species, the western ( ) H. leuconedys gibbons, geographically isolated by Chindwin River. assessed morphological genetic characteristics wild animals museum specimens, conducted multi‐disciplinary analyses using mitochondrial genomic sequences, external morphology, craniodental characters...
Comprehensive, global information on species' occurrences is an essential biodiversity variable and central to a range of applications in ecology, evolution, biogeography conservation. Expert maps often represent only available distributional play increasing role conservation assessments macroecology. We provide for the native ranges all extant mammal species harmonised taxonomy Mammal Diversity Database (MDD) mobilised from two sources, Handbook Mammals World (HMW) Illustrated Checklist...
Incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) makes ancestral genetic polymorphisms persist during rapid speciation events, inducing incongruences between gene trees and species trees. ILS has complicated phylogenetic inference in many lineages, including hominids. However, we lack empirical evidence that leads to incongruent phenotypic variation. Here, performed phylogenomic analyses show the South American monito del monte is sister of all Australian marsupials, although over 31% its genome closer...
The Tasmanian devil ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) is threatened with extinction because of a contagious cancer known as Devil Facial Tumor Disease. inability to mount an immune response and reject these tumors might be caused by lack genetic diversity within dwindling population. Here we report whole-genome analysis two animals originating from extreme northwest southeast Tasmania, the maximal geographic spread, together genome tumor taken one them. A 3.3-Gb de novo assembly sequence data...
The substantial body of research on Holarctic ground squirrels amassed over the past century documents considerable variability in morphological, cytogenetic, ecological, and behavioral attributes genus SpermophilusF. Cuvier, 1825. Recent molecular phylogenetic studies suggest that traditionally recognized genera Marmota Blumenbach, 1779 (marmots), Cynomys Rafinesque, 1817 (prairie dogs), Ammospermo-philusMerriam, 1892 (antelope squirrels) render Spermophilus paraphyletic, potentially...
The genus Equus is richly represented in the fossil record, yet our understanding of taxonomic relationships within this remains limited. To estimate phylogenetic among modern horses, zebras, asses and donkeys, we generated first data set including complete mitochondrial sequences from all seven extant lineages Equus. Bayesian Maximum Likelihood inference confirms that zebras are monophyletic genus, Plains Grevy's form a well-supported group. Using ancient DNA techniques, further...
Significance Understanding the effects of biodiversity loss on zoonotic disease is pressing importance to both conservation science and public health. This paper provides experimental evidence increased landscape-level risk following declines in large wildlife, using case study rodent-borne zoonosis, bartonellosis, East Africa. pattern driven not by changes community composition or diversity hosts, as frequently proposed other systems, but increases abundance susceptible hosts mammal...
The ability to uncover the phylogenetic history of recently extinct species and other known only from archived museum material has rapidly improved due reduced cost increased sequence capacity next-generation sequencing technologies. One limitation these approaches is difficulty isolating large, orthologous DNA regions across multiple divergent species, which exacerbated for specimens, where quality varies greatly between samples contamination levels are often high. Here we describe use...
We present the first comprehensive taxonomic revision and review biology of olingos, endemic Neotropical procyonid genus Bassaricyon, based on most specimens available in museums, with data derived from anatomy, morphometrics, mitochondrial nuclear DNA, field observations, geographic range modeling. Species Bassaricyon are primarily forest-living, arboreal, nocturnal, frugivorous, solitary, have one young at a time. demonstrate that four olingo species can be recognized, including Central...
The taxonomic identity and status of the Australian Dingo has been unsettled controversial since its initial description in 1792. Since that time it referred to by various names including Canis dingo, lupus familiaris dingo. Of these C. l. dingo f. have most often used, but recently proposed should be once again recognized as a full species—Canis There is an urgent need address instability referring because consequences for management policy. Therefore, objective this study was assess...
Large mammalian herbivores (LMH) strongly influence plant communities, and these effects can propagate indirectly throughout food webs. Most existing large-scale manipulations of LMH presence/absence consist a single exclusion treatment, few are replicated across environmental gradients. Thus, important questions remain about the functional roles different LMH, how depend on abiotic context. In September 2008, we constructed series 1-ha herbivore-exclusion plots 20-km rainfall gradient in...
Abstract The woolly flying squirrel, Eupetaurus cinereus, is among the rarest and least studied mammals in world. For much of 20th century it was thought to be extinct, until rediscovered 1994 northern Pakistan. This study outlines first taxonomic biogeographical review genus Eupetaurus, which now has contained only a single species. Careful museum specimens published records demonstrates that occurs three widely disjunct areas situated on western (northern Pakistan north-western India),...
<i>Trachypithecus</i>, which currently contains 20 species divided into four groups, is the most speciose and geographically dispersed genus among Asian colobines. Despite several morphological molecular studies, however, its evolutionary history phylogeography remain poorly understood. Phayre's langur (<i>Trachypithecus phayrei</i>) one of widespread members genus, but details on actual distribution intraspecific taxonomy are limited controversial. Thus, to elucidate <i>Trachypithecus</i>...
Abstract The establishment of protected areas (PAs) is a central strategy for global biodiversity conservation. While the role PAs in protecting habitat has been highlighted, their effectiveness at mammal communities remains unclear. We analyzed dataset from over 8671 camera traps 23 countries on four continents that detected 321 medium‐ to large‐bodied species. found strong positive correlation between taxonomic diversity and proportion surveyed area covered by scale ( β = 0.39, 95%...
Abstract Ninu (greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis ) are desert-dwelling, culturally and ecologically important marsupials. In collaboration with Indigenous rangers conservation managers, we generated the chromosome-level genome assembly (3.66 Gbp) sequences for extinct Yallara (lesser leucura ). We developed tested a scat single-nucleotide polymorphism panel to inform current future actions, undertake ecological assessments improve our understanding of genetic diversity in managed wild...