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Professor Roger Stephen Thorpe
 
PhD DSc  Chair of Animal Ecology
Molecular Ecology & Evolution Group, Brambell Building, School of Biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
Tel + (0)1248 382312. Fax  +(0)1248 371644. Email r.s.thorpe@bangor.ac.uk
Director, College Graduate School.

I
NTERESTS.

Natural selection, phylogeography, phylogeny, geographic variation and speciation in lizards and snakes. My group uses a multidisciplinary approach of field experiments, multivariate analysis of quantitative traits, molecular phylogeny, population genetics/molecular ecology, and numerical hypothesis testing to investigate the pattern and causes of microevolution and speciation. This work has tended to focus on island lizards in the Canaries and Lesser Antilles and venomous snakes after an earlier interest in the methods of analysing geographic variation in the Palaearctic ringed snake and Pleistocene effects on its distribution.



Link to Lesser Antilles lizards               Link to Canary Island Lizards              Link to Venomous Snakes
       

Publications below

RECENT PUBLICATIONS        Link to a full list of publications and downloadable PDFs

2008

Dawson K, A. Malhotra, R S Thorpe et al. 2008. Mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals a new member of the Asian pitviper genus Viridivipera (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae). Mol Phylo. Evol. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.05.044 PDF

Johansson, H., Surget-Groba, Y.,  Thorpe R. S. 2008 Microsatellite data show evidence for male-biased dispersal in the Caribbean lizard Anolis roquet. Mol Ecol. 17:4425-4432.email r.s.thorpe@bangor.ac.uk for a PDF

Thorpe, R. S.,  Surget-Groba,Y. & Johansson, H. 2008. The relative importance of ecology and geographic isolation for speciation in anoles. Phil Trans. R. Soc Lond B. 363:3071-3081.email r.s.thorpe@bangor.ac.uk for a PDF  PDF

Thorpe RS et al 2008. Adaptive radiation in Lesser Antillean lizards: molecular phylogenetics and species recognition in the Lesser Antillean dwarf gecko complex, Sphaerodactylus fantasticus. Mol Ecol 17:1489-1504. email r.s.thorpe@bangor.ac.uk for a PDF

Eales, J, RS Thorpe, A Malhotra 2008. Weak founder effect signal in a recent introduction of Caribbean Anolis. Mol Ecol. 17:1416-1426. email r.s.thorpe@bangor.ac.uk for a PDF

Dawnay, N., R. Ogden, R. S. Thorpe, L. C. Pope, D. A. Dawson & R. McEwing. 2008. A forensic STR profiling system for the Eurasian badger: A framework for developing profiling systems for wildlife species. Forensic Science International: Genetics. 2: 47-53. PDF

Johansson, H., Surget-Groba, Y., Gow, J.L., Thorpe R. S. 2008. Development of microsatellite markers in the St Lucia anole, Anolis luciae. Mol. Ecol. Resources. 8:1408-1410 email r.s.thorpe@bangor.ac.uk for a PDF

2007


Thorpe R. S., C. E. Pook, and A Malhotra.  2007. Phylogeography of the Russell’s viper (Daboia russelii) complex in relation to variation in the colour pattern and symptoms of envenoming. Herpetological Journal 17:209:218. PDF

Quijada-Mascareñas, J. A.,  J. E. Ferguson, C. E. Pook, M. Da G. Salomão, R. S. Thorpe, W. Wüster. 2007. Phylogeographic  patterns of trans-Amazonian vicariants and Amazonian biogeography: the Neotropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus complex) as  an example. Journal of Biogeography 34 (8) , 1296–1312. 
PDF

Malhotra, A. Thorpe, R. S., Hypolite, E., James, A. 20007. A report on the status of the herpetofauna of the Commonwealth of  Dominica, West Indies. Applied Herpetology 4:177-194.
PDF

Dawnay, N., R. Ogden, R. McEwing, G. R.Carvalho, R. S. Thorpe. 2007. Validation of the barcoding gene COI for use in forensic  genetic species identification. Forensic Science International. 173: 1-6.
PDF

2006

Creer, S., Pook, C.E., Malhotra, A., Thorpe, R.S.  2006. Optimal intron analyses  in the Trimeresurus radiation of Asian pitvipers. Systematic Biology 55: 57-72. PDF

Gow JL, H Johansson, Y Surget-Groba, R S Thorpe. 2006. Ten polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite markers isolated from the Anolis roquet series of Caribbean lizards. Molecular Ecology Notes. 6:873-876.  PDF

Sanders KL,  A. Malhotra, R.S. Thorpe.  2006. Evidence for a Müllerian mimetic radiation in Asian pitvipers. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 273: 1135-1141. PDF

Sanders KL,  A. Malhotra, R.S. Thorpe.  2006. Combining molecular,morphological and ecological data to infer species boundaries in a cryptic tropical pitviper. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 87: 343-664. PDF

2005.

Thorpe RS. 2005. Population evolution and island biogeography. Science. 310:1778-1779. PDF  
Science summary link
http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/310/5755/1778?ijkey=jJvlLKRj4UDc6&keytype=ref&siteid=sci
Science Full text link  http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/310/5755/1778?ijkey=jJvlLKRj4UDc6&keytype=ref&siteid=sci

Creer S, A Malhotra, R S Thorpe, C E Pook. 2005. Targetting introns for phylogenetic analyses in non-model taxa: experimental results in Asian pitvipers. Cladistics. 21:390-395. PDF

Thorpe RSDL Leadbeater, C E Pook. 2005. Molecular clocks and geological dates: cytochrome b of Anolis extremus substantially contradicts dating of Barbados emergence. Mol Ecol 14:2087-2096. PDF

Thorpe RS, JT Reardon, A Malhotra. 2005. Common garden and natural selection experiments support ecotypic differentiation in the Dominican anole (Anolis oculatus). Amer Nat . 165:495-504. PDF

Wüster W, JE Ferguson, JA Quijada-Mascareñas, CE Pook, MG Salomão & RS Thorpe 2005 Tracing an invasion: landbridges, refugia and the phylogeography of the Neotropical rattlesnake (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalus durissus) .  Mol Ecol. 14: 1095-1108. PDF

Gübitz T, RS Thorpe, A Malhotra  2005. The dynamics of genetic and morphological variation on volcanic islands Proc R. Soc B. 272:751-757. PDF

Malhotra A, & RS Thorpe. 2005. Erratum to “A phylogeny of four mitochondrial gene regions suggests a revised taxonomy for Asian pitvipers (Trimeresurus and Ovophis)” {Mol Phylogenet. Evol. 32 (2004) 83-100]. Mol Phylo. Evol. 34:68-681. PDF

2004

Stenson,AG RS Thorpe and A Malhotra. 2004. Evolutionary differentiation of bimaculatus group anoles based on analyses of mtDNA and microsatellite data. Mol Phylo Evol 32:1-10. PDF

Malhotra, A., and R.S.Thorpe. 2004. A phylogeny of four mitochondrial gene regions suggests a revised taxonomy for Asian pit vipers (Trimeresurus and Ovophis). Mol Phylo Evol. 32: 83-100. PDF

Creer, S., Thorpe, R.S., Malhotra, A.,  W.-H. Chou. & AG Stenson 2004. The utility of AFLPs for supporting mitochondrial DNA phylogeographical analysres in the Taiwanese bamboo viper, Trimeresurus stejnegeri. J. Evol. Biol. 17: 100-107. PDF

Sanders, K.L., A. Malhotra, and R.S. Thorpe. 2004. Ecological diversification in a group of Indomalayan pitvipers (Trimeresurus): convergence in taxonomically important traits has implications for species identification. J. Evol. Biol. 17: 721-731. PDF

Herrmann, H.W., T. Ziegler, A. Malhotra, R.S. Thorpe, and C.L. Parkinson. 2004. Redescription and systematics of Trimeresurus cornutus (Serpentes: Viperidae) based on                             morphology and molecular data. Herpetologica, 60: 211-221. PDF

Malhotra, A., and R.S. Thorpe. 2004. Maximising information in systematic revisions: a combined molecular and morphological analysis of a cryptic green pitviper complex (Trimeresurus stejnegeri). Biol. J. Linn. Soc., 82: 219-235. PDF

Malhotra, A., R.S. Thorpe and B.L. Stuart. 2004. A morphometric analysis of Trimeresurus vogeli (David, Vidal and Pauwels, 2001), with new data on diagnostic characteristics, distribution and natural history. Herpetological Journal. 14: 65-77. PDF

Malhotra, A., and R.S. Thorpe. 2004. Reassessment of the validity and diagnosis of the pitviper Trimeresurus venustus Vogel, 1991 Herpetological Journal, 14: 21-33. PDF

Sanders, K.L., A. Malhotra, A. Gumprecht, R. S. Thorpe & U. Kuch. 2004. Poeia inornata, a new species of pitviper from West Malaysia (Squamata: Viperidae: Crotalinae). Russian J. Herpetol.11: 171-184. PDF

Thorpe RS, Malhotra A, Stenson AG and Reardon JT (2004)  Adaptation and speciation in Lesser Antillean anoles. In: (eds.) Dieckmann, U., Doebeli, M., Metz JAJ,  and Tautz, D., (Eds.) pp322-344  In:  Adaptive Speciation,  Cambridge University Press, U.K. PDF

2003

Thorpe RS. 2003. Garth Underwood (1919-2002): A vision of reptile systematics. Herpetological Review. 34:6-8. PDF

Thorpe RS and Stenson AG (2003)  Phylogeny, paraphyly and ecological adaptation of the colour and pattern in the Anolis roquet complex on Martinique.  Mol. Ecol.  12, 117-132. PDF

Creer S, Malhotra A and Thorpe RS (2003)  Assessing the phylogenetic utility of four mitochondrial genes and a nuclear intron in the Asian pitviper genus Trimeresurus:  separate, simultaneous, and conditional data combination analyses.  Mol Biol Evol 20, 1240-1251. PDF

Creer S, Malhotra A, Thorpe RS, Stocklin R, Favreau P and Chou W-H (2003)  Genetic and ecological correlates of intraspecific variation in pitviper venom composition detected using matrix assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and isoelectric focusing.  J Mol Evol  56, 317-329. PDF

2002

Ogden R, Thorpe RS (2002). Molecular evidence for ecological speciation in tropical habitats. PNAS 99: 13612-13615.  PDF

Thorpe RS (2002). Analysis of Color Spectra in Comparative Evolutionary Studies: Molecular Phylogeny and Habitat Adaptation in the St. Vincent Anole (Anolis trinitatis). Syst Biol 51: 554-569.  PDF

Ogden R, Thorpe RS (2002). The usefulnes of amplified fragment length polymorphism markers for taxon discrimation across graduated fine evolutionary levels in Caribbean Anolis lizards. Mol. Ecol. 11: 437-445. PDF

Stenson AG, Malhotra A, Thorpe RS (2002). Population differentiation and nuclear gene flow in the Dominican anole (Anolis oculatus). Mol. Ecol. 11: 1679-1688. PDF

Creer, S., Chou, W.-H., Malhotra, A. and Thorpe, R.S. 2002. Offshore insular variation in the diet of the Taiwanese bamboo viper, Trimeresurus stejnegeri (Schmidt). Zoological Science, 19:907-913. PDF

Sanders, K.L., Malhotra, A., and R.S. Thorpe. 2002. A contribution to the systematics of two commonly confused pitvipers from the Sunda region: Trimeresurus hageni and T. sumatranus. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus, Zoology, 68(2):107-111. PDF

Hille A, Janssen IAW, Menken SBJ, Schlegel M, Thorpe RS (2002). Heterologous Amplification of Microsatellite Markers From Colubroid Snakes in European Natricines (Serpentes : Natricinae). Journal of Heredity 93: 63-66.  PDF

Ogden R, Griffiths TJ, Thorpe RS (2002). Eight Microsatellite Loci in the Caribbean Lizard, Anolis roquet. Conservation Genetics 3: 345-346. PDF

Thorpe RS (2002)  Geographic variation. In: Pagel MD,  (Ed.)  Encyclopedia of Evolution, pp. 430-435. U.K.Oxford University Press PDF

Wuster W, Salomao MG, Quijada-Mascarenas JA, Thorpe RS. 2002. Origins and evolution of the South American pit viper fauna: evidence from mitiochondrial DNA sequence analysis. In. Biology of the Vipers (eds Schuett GW, Hoggren M, Douglas ME, Greene HW) pp 111-128 Eagle Mountain Publishing, Eagle Mt, Utah. PDF

Wüster W, Thorpe RS Salomao MG, Thomas, L., Puorto G, Theakston RDG, & Warrell, DA. 2002. Origin and phylogenetic position of the Lesser Antillean species of Bothrops (Serpentes, Viperidae): biogeographical and medical implications. Bull. Nat. Hist. Mus, Zoology, 68: 101-106. PDF

2001

Thorpe RS, Richard M (2001). Evidence That Ultraviolet Markings Are Associated With Patterns of Molecular Gene Flow. PNAS 98: 3929-3934. PDF

Creer S, Malhotra A, Thorpe RS, Chou WH (2001). Multiple Causation of Phylogeographical  Pattern as Revealed by Nested Clade Analysis of the Bamboo Viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) Within Taiwan. Mol. Ecol. 10: 1967-1981. PDF

Giannasi N, Malhotra A, Thorpe RS (2001). Nuclear and MtDNA Phylogenies of the Trimeresurus Complex: Implications for the Gene Versus Species Tree Debate. Mol Phylo Evol 19: 57-66. PDF

Giannasi N, Thorpe RS, Malhotra A (2001). The Use of Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism in Determining Species Trees at Fine Taxonomic Levels: Analysis of a Medically Important Snake, Trimeresurus albolabris. Mol. Ecol.  10: 419-426. PDF

Richard M, Thorpe RS (2001). Can microsatellites be used to infer phylogenies? Evidence from population affinities of the western Canary Island lizard (Gallotia galloti).  Mol Phylo Evol 20: 351-360. PDF

Surget-Groba Y, Heulin B, Guillaume G P, Thorpe RS, Kupriyanova L, Vogrin N, Maslak R, Mazzotti S, Venczel M, Ghira I, Odierna G, Leontyeva O, Monney JC, Smith N (2001). Intraspecific Phylogeography of Lacerta vivipara and the Evolution of Viviparity. Mol Phylo Evol 18: 449-459. PDF

Puorto G, Salomao MD, Theakston RDG, Thorpe RS, Warrell DA, Wüster W (2001). Combining Mitochondrial DNA Sequences and Morphological Data to Infer Species Boundaries: Phylogeography of Lanceheaded Pitvipers in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, and the Status of Bothrops pradoi (Squamata : Serpentes : Viperidae). J Evol Biol 14: 527-538. PDF

2000

Richard M & Thorpe R S. 2000.Highly polymorphic microsatellites in the lacertid Gallotia galloti from the western Canary Islands. Mol Ecol.9:1919-1920. PDF

Stenson A, Malhotra A, Thorpe R S. 2000. Highly polymorphic micriosatellite loci. from the Dominican anole (Anolis oculatus) and their amplification in other bimaculatus series anoles. Mol Ecol. 9:1661-1686. PDF

Malhotra A & Thorpe R S. 2000. A phylogeny of the Trimeresurus group of pit-vipers: new evidence from a mitochondrial gene tree. Mol  Phylo Evol. 16:199-211. PDF

Giannasi, N, Thorpe R S, & Malhotra A. 2000. A phylogenetic analysis of body size evolution in the Anolis roquet group (Sauria: Iguanidae) character displacement or size assortment? Mol Ecol. 9:193-202. PDF

Gübitz T, Thorpe R S, Malhotra A, 2000. Phylogeography and natural selection in the Tenerife gecko Tarentola delalandii: testing historical and adaptive hypotheses. Mol Ecol. 9:1213-1221. PDF

Tarkhnishvili D, Thorpe R S , Arntzen JW 2000. Pre-Pleistocene refugia and differentiation between populations of the Caucasian salamander (Mertensiella caucasica). Mol Phylo Evol. 14:414-422. PDF

Pook, C E, Wüster W, Thorpe, R S. 2000. Historical biogeography of the Western Rattlesnake (Serpentes:Viperidae: Crotalus viridis) inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequence information. Mol. Phyl. Evol. 15:269-282. PDF

Malhotra A & R S Thorpe. 2000. The dynamics of natural selection and vicariance in the Dominican anole: patterns of within-island molecular and morphological divergence. Evolution 54:245-258. PDF

Brede EG, Thorpe RS, Arntzen JW, Langton TES. 2000. A morphometric study of a hybrid newt population (Triturus cristatus/T.carnifex): Beam Brook Nurseries, Surrey, U.K.  Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 70:685-695. PDF

Link to a full list of publications and downloadable PDFs

Link to Lesser Antilles lizards                  Link to Canary Island Lizards                     Link to Venomous Snakes