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Bosavi Giant Woolly Rat          Giant Rat in the Blogosphere
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Kaijende Highlands Expeditions
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Southeast Asian Mammal Databank
Genome 10k Project

Education

Ph.D. (Zoology): University of Adelaide, 2007
B.A. (Biology): Harvard University, 2001

Research Interests

In my fieldwork and museum travels around the world, I have discovered approximately 100 species of mammals previously unknown to science (about 2% of the global mammal fauna), 23 of which have so far been characterized in published or pending journal articles. Describing this wealth of overlooked biodiversity forms the core of my research program. My research links specimen-based investigations of biological inventory, taxonomy, and phylogenetics to questions in comparative ecomorphology and historical biogeography, with a special focus on the Australo-Papuan and Indo-Malayan regions. I work with similar fluency on the taxonomy of essentially all groups of terrestrial mammals, and my interests and expertise extend to applications in conservation biology, wildlife management, and host-parasite and disease interactions (a collection of impacts I categorize as "applied systematics"). In my systematic and biogeographic research I collaborate especially with scientists and students in biologically megadiverse countries and with many of the foremost mammalogical taxonomists in the global arena.

My research also addresses major conceptual issues in the evolution of modern mammal faunas, such as the interrelationships of the placental mammal orders, the phylogenetic position of Primates among mammals, the nature and determinants of late Quaternary and modern extinctions, and the evolution and ecology of body size in vertebrates. In these multidisciplinary efforts I profitably collaborate with paleontologists, ecologists, and molecular and genomic biologists.

Recent Publications

Haussler, D., O'Brien, S.J., Ryder, O.A., Barker, F.K., Clamp, M., Crawford, A.J., Hanner, R., Hanotte, O., Johnson, W.E., McGuire, J.A., Miller, W., Murphy, R.W., Murphy, W.J., Sheldon, F.H., Sinervo, B., Venkatesh, B., Wiley, E.O., Allendorf, F.W., Amato, G., Baker, C.S., Bauer, A., Beja-Pereira, A., Bermingham, E., Bernardi, G., Bonvicino, C.R., et al. 2009. Genome 10K: A Proposal to Obtain Whole-Genome Sequence for 10 000 Vertebrate Species, Journal of Heredity, 100(6):659-674

Helgen, K.M. and Helgen, L.E. 2009. Biodiversity and biogeography of the moss-mice of New Guinea: a taxonomic revision of Pseudohydromys (Muridae: Murinae), Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 331:230-313

Schipper, J., Helgen, K.M., Belant, J.L., Gonzalez-Maya, J., Eizirik, E. and Tsuchiya-Jerep, M. 2009. Small carnivores in the Americas: reflections, future research and conservation priorities, Small Carnivore Conservation, 41:1-2

Helgen, K.M., Cole, F.R., Helgen, L.E. and Wilson, D.E. 2009. Generic Revision in the Holarctic Ground Squirrel Genus Spermophilus, Journal of mammalogy, 90(2):270-305

Miller, W., Drautz, D.I., Janecka, J.E., Lesk, A.M., Ratan, A., Tomsho, L.P., Packard, M., Zhang, Y., McClellan, L.R., Qi, J., Zhao, F., Gilbert, M.T.P., Dalen, L., Arsuaga, J.L., Ericson, P.G.P., Huson, D.H., Helgen, K.M., Murphy, W.J., Gotherstrom, A. and Schuster, S.C. 2009. The mitochondrial genome sequence of the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), Genome research, 19(2):213-220

Helgen, K.M., Helgen, L.E. and Wilson, D.E. 2009. Pacific flying foxes (Mammalia: Chiroptera): Two new species of Pteropus from Samoa, probably extinct, American Museum Novitates, (3646):1-37

Helgen, K.M., Kays, R.W., Helgen, L.E., Tsuchiya-Jerep, M.T.N., Pinto, C.M., Koepfli, K., Eizirik, E. and Maldonado, J.E. 2009. Taxonomic boundaries and geographic distributions revealed by an integrative systematic overview of the mountain coatis, Nasuella (Carnivora: Procyonidae), Small Carnivore Conservation, 41(1):65-74

Schipper, J., Helgen, K.M., Belant, J.L., Gonzalez-Maya, J., Eizirik, E. and Tsuchiya-Jerep, M.T.N. 2009. Special Issue: The Americas, Small Carnivore Conservation, 41

Janecka, J.E., Helgen, K.M., Lim, N.T.-., Baba, M., Izawa, M., Boeadi and Murphy, W.J. 2008. Evidence for multiple species of Sunda colugo, Current Biology, 18(21):R1001-R1002

Wei, L., Han, N., Zhang, L., Helgen, K.M., Parsons, S., Zhou, S. and Zhang, S. 2008. Wing morphology, echolocation calls, diet and emergence time of black-bearded tomb bats (Taphozous melanopogon, Emballonuridae) from south-west China, Acta Chiropterologica, 10(1):51-59

Schipper, J., Chanson, J.S., Chiozza, F., Cox, N.A., Hoffmann, M., Katariya, V., Lamoreux, J., Rodrigues, A.S.L., Stuart, S.N., Temple, H.J., Baillie, J., Boitani, L., Lacher, T.E., Jr., Mittermeier, R.A., Smith, A.T., Absolon, D., Aguiar, J.M., Amori, G., Bakkour, N., Baldi, R., Berridge, R.J., Bielby, J., Black, P.A., Blanc, J.J., Brooks, T.M., et al. 2008. The Status of the World's Land and Marine Mammals: Diversity, Threat, and Knowledge, Science, 322(5899):225-230

Helgen, K.M. 2008. New Guinea as a Tropical Lens, Conservation Biology, 22(6):1667-1668

Musser, G.G., Helgen, K.M. and Lunde, D.P. 2008. Systematic review of New Guinea Leptomys (Muridae, Murinae) with descriptions of two new species, American Museum Novitates, (3624):1-60

Helgen, K.M., Maldonado, J.E., Wilson, D.E. and Buckner, S.D. 2008. Molecular Confirmation of the Origin and Invasive Status of West Indian Raccoons, Journal of Mammalogy, 89(2):282-291

Helgen, K.M., Lim, N.T.-. and Helgen, L.E. 2008. The hog-badger is not an edentate: systematics and evolution of Arctonyx (Mammalia: Mustelidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 154:353-385

Helgen, K.M., Leary, T., Doria, G. and Amori, G. 2008. Catalogue of Melanesian rodents in the Museum of Genova (Mammalia: Rodentia), Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale G.Doria, 99:653-686

Giannini, N.P., Almeida, F., Simmons, N.B. and Helgen, K.M. 2008. The systematic position of Pteropus leucopterus and its bearing on the monophyly and relationships of Pteropus (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae), Acta Chiropterologica, 10(1):11-20

Meiri, S., Meijaard, E., Wich, S.A., Groves, C.P. and Helgen, K.M. 2008. Mammals of Borneo - small size on a large island, Journal of Biogeography, 35(6):1087-1094

Amori, G., Gippoliti, S. and Helgen, K.M. 2008. Diversity, distribution, and conservation of endemic island rodents, Quaternary International, 182:6-15

Helgen, K.M., Kock, D., Gomez, R.K.S.C., Ingle, N.R. and Sinaga, M.H. 2007. Taxonomy and natural history of the South-East Asian fruit-bat genus Dyacopterus, Journal of Mammalogy, 88(2):302-318

Groves, C.P. and Helgen, K.M. 2007. Craniodental characters in the taxonomy of Propithecus, International Journal of Primatology, 28(6):1363-1383

Helgen, K.M. 2007. "A taxonomic and geographic overview of the mammals of Papua". Pp. in The Ecology of Papua (Ecology of Indonesia series Volume VI, Part One) (Marshall, A.J. and Beehler, B.M.). Periplus Editions

Helgen, K.M. 2007. The mammal fauna of the Kaijende Highlands, Enga Province, Papua New Guinea, Conservation International Rapid Assessment Program Bulletin of Biological Assessment, :52-68

Li, G., Liang, B., Wang, Y., Zhao, H., Helgen, K.M., Lin, L., Jones, G. and Zhang, S.Y. 2007. Echolocation calls, diet, and phylogenetic relationships of Stoliczka’s Trident Bat Aselliscus stoliczkanus (Hipposideridae), Journal of Mammalogy, 88(3):736-744

Wilson, D.E., Helgen, K.M. and Chin Sing Yun. 2007. "Rapid assessment of small mammal biodiversity". Pp. 107-122 in Proceedings of the Regional Conference of Biodiversity Conservation in Tropical Planted Forests in Southeast Asia (Stuebing, R., Unggang, J., Ferner, J., Giman, B. and Ping, K.K.). Forestry Department, Sarawak Forestry Corporation, Grand Perfect

Janecka, J.E., Miller, W., Pringle, T.H., Wiens, F., Zitzmann, A., Helgen, K.M., Springer, M.S. and Murphy, W.J. 2007. Molecular and Genomic Data Identify the Closest Living Relative of Primates, Science, 318(5851):792-794

Reeder, D.M., Helgen, K.M. and Wilson, D.E. 2007. Global Trends and Biases in New Mammal Species Discoveries, Occasional Papers, Museum of Texas Tech University, (269):1-35

Helgen, K.M. 2006. "Order Scandentia". Pp. 95-97 in Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes (O'Brien, S.J., Menninger, J.C. and Nash, W.G.). John Wiley and Sons

Thong, V.D., Bumrungsri, S., Harrison, D.L., Pearch, M., Helgen, K.M. and Bates, P.J.J. 2006. New records of Microchiroptera (Rhinolophidae and Kerivoulinae) from Vietnam and Thailand, Acta Chiropterologica, 8:83-93

Wilson, D.E., Helgen, K.M., Chin, S.Y. and Giman, B. 2006. Results of small mammal surveys at two sites in planted forest zones, Bintulu, Sarawak, Malayan Nature Journal, 59:165-187

Helgen, K.M. and Wilson, D.E. 2006. "Order Eulipotyphla". Pp. 357-377 in Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes (O'Brien, S.J., Menninger, J.C. and Nash, W.G.). John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Helgen, K.M., Wells, R.T., Kear, B.P., Gerdtz, W.L. and Flannery, T.F. 2006. Ecological and evolutionary significance of sizes of giant extinct kangaroos, Australian Journal of Zoology, 54(5):293-303

Complete List of Helgen's Publications and Downloadable PDFs