Micah Dunthorn
Appointments
| 2012-present | Emmy Noether Independent Junior Research Group Leader, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany |
| 2010-2012 | Alexander von Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany |
| 2009-2010 | Faculty of Biology Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Kaiserslautern, Germany |
| 2003 | Visiting Professor, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador |
Education
| Ph.D. 2009 | University of Massachusetts Amherst; thesis: Ciliate biodiversity and phylogenetic reconstruction assessed by multiple molecular markers |
| M.S. 2002 | University of Missouri St. Louis; thesis: Anatomy and palynology of Mammea L. (Clusiaceae) |
| B.A. 2000 | George Mason University, with Honors |
| 2005 | Workshop on Molecular Evolution, Marine Biological Laboratory, Wood Hole, Massachusetts |
| 2002 | Tropical Plant Systematics, Organization for Tropical Studies, Costa Rica |
Publications
Lynn, D. H, M. Dunthorn (accepted). Intramacronucleata. In K. de Queiroz, P. D. Cantino and J. Gauthier (eds.), Phylonyms: a Companion to the PhyloCode. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Dunthorn, M., D. H. Lynn (accepted). Ciliophora and Postciliodesmatophora. In K. de Queiroz, P. D. Cantino and J. Gauthier (eds.), Phylonyms: a Companion to the PhyloCode. University of California Press, Berkeley.
Zhan, Z., K. Xu, M. Dunthorn (2013). Evaluating molecular support for and againt the monophyly of the Peritrichia and phylogenetic relationships in the Mobilida (Ciliophora, Oligohymenophorea). Zoologica Scripta 42:213-226. [pdf]
Guillou L., D. Bachar, S. Audic, D. Bass, C. Berney, L. Bittner, C. Boutte, G. Burgaud, C. de Vargas, J. Decelle, J. del Campo, J.R. Dolan, M. Dunthorn, B. Edvardsen, M. Holzmann, W.H.C.F. Kooistra, E. Lara, N. Lebescot, R. Logares, F. Mahé, R. Massana, M. Montresor, R. Morard, F. Not, J. Pawlowski, I. Probert, A.-L. Sauvadet, R. Siano, T. Stoeck, D. Vaulot Daniel, P. Zimmermann, R. Christen (2013). The Protist Ribosomal Reference Database (PR2): a catalog of unicellular eukaryote small subunit rRNA sequences with curated taxonomy. Nucleic Acids Research 41:D597-D604. [pdf]
Lipps, J. H., T. Stoeck, M. Dunthorn (2013). Fossil tintinnids. In Dolan, J., D. Montagnes, S. Agatha, W. Coats, D. Stoecker (Eds.), Biology and ecology of tintinnid ciliates: models for marine plankton. Blackwell-Wiley, pp. 186-197. [pdf]
Pawlowski, J., S. Audic, S. Adl, D. Bass, L. Belbahri, C. Berney, S.S. Bowser, I. Cepicka, J. Decelle, M. Dunthorn, A.M. Fiore-Donno, G. Gile, M. Holzmann, R. Jahn, M. Jirků, P.J. Keeling, M. Kostka, A. Kudryavtsev, E. Lara, J. Lukeš, D.G. Mann, E.A.D. Mitchell, F. Nitsche, M. Romeralo, G.W. Saunders, A.G.B. Simpson, A.V. Smirnov, J. Spouge, R.F. Stern, T. Stoeck, J. Zimmermann, D. Schindel, C. de Vargas (2012). CBOL Protist Working Group: barcoding eukaryotic richness beyond the animal, plant and fungal kingdoms. PLoS Biology e:1001419. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz, T. Stoeck (2012). Congruence and indifference between two molecular markers for understanding oral evolution in the Marynidae sensu lato (Ciliophora, Colpodea). European Journal of Protistology 48:297-304. [pdf]
Adl, S.M., A.G.B. Simpson, C.E. Lane, J. Lukeš, D. Bass, S.S. Bowser, M.W. Brown, F. Burki, M. Dunthorn, V. Hampl, A. Heiss, M. Hoppenrath, E. Lara, L. Le Gall, D.H. Lynn, H. McManus, E.A.D. Mitchell, S.E. Mozley-Stanridge, L.W. Parfrey, J. Pawloski, S. Rueckert, L. Shadwick, C. Schoch, A. Smirnov, F. W. Spiegel (2012). The revised classification of the eukaryotes. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 59:429-493. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., T. Stoeck, K. Wolf, H.-W. Breiner, W. Foissner (2012). Diversity and endemism of ciliates inhabiting Neotropical phytotelmata. Systematics and Biodiversity 10: 195-205. [pdf]
Huang, J., M. Dunthorn, W. Song (2012). Expanding character sampling for the molecular phylogeny of euplotid ciliates (Protozoa, Ciliophora) using three markers, with a focus on the family Uronychiidae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 63:598-605. [pdf]
Trueba, G., M. Dunthorn (2012). Many neglected tropical diseases may have originated in the Paleolithic or before: new insights from genetics. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases 6:e1393. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz. (2012). Secretive ciliates and putative asexuality in microbial eukaryotes. In Schaechter, M. (Ed), Eukaryotic microbes. Academic Press: Amsterdam pp. 227-233.
Dunthorn, M., J. Kleir, T. Stoeck (2012). Comparing the hyper-variable V4 and V9 regions for assessment of ciliate environmental diversity. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 59:185-187. [pdf]
Katz, L. A., J. DeBerardinis, M. Hall, A. M. Kovner, M. Dunthorn, S. V. Muse (2011). Heterogeneous rates of molecular evolution between cryptic species of the ciliate morphospecies Chilodonella uncinata. Journal of Molecular Evolution 73:266-272. [pdf]
Foissner, W., T. Stoeck, S. Agatha, M. Dunthorn (2011). Intraclass evolution and classification of the Colpodea (Ciliophora). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 58:397-415. [pdf]
Nebel, M., C. Pfabel, A. Stock, M. Dunthorn, T. Stoeck (2011). Delimiting operational taxonomic units for assessing ciliate environmental diversity using small-subunit rRNA gene sequences. Environmental Microbiology Reports 3:154-158. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz (2011). Expanding character sampling in ciliate phylogenetic inference using mitochondrial SSU-rDNA as a molecular marker. Protist 162:85-99. [pdf]
Yi, Z., M. Dunthorn, W. Song, T. Stoeck (2010). Increasing taxon sampling using both unidentified environmental sequences and identified cultures improves phylogenetic inference in the Prorodontida (Ciliophora, Prostomatea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57:937-941. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., J. H. Lipps, T. Stoeck (2010). Systematic status of putative Neoproterozoic ciliate fossils Eotintinnopsis, Wujiangella, and Yonyangella from the Doushantuo Formation in China. Acta Protozoologica 49:139-144. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz. (2010). Secretive ciliates and putative asexuality in microbial eukaryotes. Trends in Microbiology 18:183-188. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., M. Eppinger, M. V. J. Schwarz, M. Schweikert. J. Boenigk, L. A. Katz, T. Stoeck (2009). Phylogenetic placement of the Cyrtolophosididae Stokes, 1888 (Ciliophora; Colpodea) and neotypification of Aristerostoma marinum Kahl, 1931. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 59:167-180. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M. (2009). Foliar anatomy and fiber motifs in Mammea (Clusiaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 280: 153-166. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz (2008). Richness of morphological hypotheses in ciliate systematics allows for detailed assessment of homology and comparisons with gene trees. Denisia 23:389-394. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M., N. Johnson (2008). Los Mecanismos de la Evolución. In Trueba, G., C. Montúfar (Eds.), Big Bang a Dolly, 3rd Ed. Universidad San Francisco de Quito Press: Quito (in Spanish; = The Mechanisms of Evolution) pp. 147-154.
Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz. (2008). Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the class Colpodea (Phylum Ciliophora) using broad taxon sampling. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46: 316-327. [pdf]
Patterson, D. J., D. Battacharya, J. Cole, M. Dunthorn, J. Logsdon, L. A. Katz, L. W. Parfrey (2007). Classifying protists. Microbiology Today February: 44-45.
Parfrey, L. W., E. Barbero, E. Lasser, M. Dunthorn, D. Bhattacharya, D. J. Patterson, L. A. Katz. (2006). Evaluating support for the current classification of eukaryotic diversity. PLoS Genetics 2:e220. [pdf]
Dunthorn, M. (2004). Cryptic dioecy in Mammea (Clusiaceae). Plant Systematics and Evolution 249: 191-196. [pdf]
Invited Talks
| 2013 | “Placing short environmental next generation sequencing amplicons from microbial eukaryotes into a phylogenetic context,” Joint meeting of the British Society of Protist Biology and the Linnean Society of London |
| 2012 | Keynote Lecture: “Placing short environmental next generation sequences into a phylogenetic context: ciliates as an example,” International Society of Protistologists 3rd North American Section Meeting, Durham, North Carolina |
| 2011 | “Ciliate diversity and biogeography,” Université de Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| 2008 | “Evolutionary genetics of (a)sexuality,” Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador |
Contributed Talks
| 2012 | Dunthorn, M., T. Stoeck, “A marine environmental pyrosequencing view of traditionally terrestrial and freshwater colpodean ciliates,” German Society of Protozoologists, Wuppertal, Germany |
| 2010 | Dunthorn, M, A. Behnke, T. Stoeck, “Ciliate diversity in Oslo Fjord and Naples Bay assessed by massively parallel pyrosequencing,” International Society of Protistologists, Canterbury, England |
| 2010 | Dunthorn, M. J. Kleir, W. Foissner, T. Stoeck, “Using two independent molecular markers to assess phylogenetic relationships of new Colpodea isolates,” German Society of Protozoologists, Düsseldorf, Germany |
| 2009 | Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz, “Expanding character sampling in ciliate phylogenetic reconstruction through analyses of mitochondrial sequences,” Society for the Study of Evolution, Moscow, Idaho |
| 2008 | Dunthorn, M., “A phylogenetic classification of colpodean ciliates,” International Society for Phylogenetic Nomenclature, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 2008 | Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz “Mitochondrial small subunit ribosomal DNA as a molecular marker for higher-level systematics in colpodean and spirotrich ciliates,” International Society of Protistologists, and the International Society for Evolutionary Protistology, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 2006 | Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz, “Extensive pararphyly within the class Colpodea,” New England Molecular Evolutionary Biologists, Amherst, Massachusetts |
| 2006 | Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz, “Problems and prospects for the phylogenetic resolution of the class Colpodea (Ciliophora),” German Society of Protozoologists, Berlin, Germany |
Posters
| 2008 | Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz, “Are colpodean ciliates scandalous?”, International Society of Protistologists, and the International Society for Evolutionary Protistology, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 2007 | Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz, “Reassessment of the order Cyrtolophosidida and subclass Oligotrichia (phylum Ciliophora) based on broader taxon and molecular sampling,” FASEB Ciliate Molecular Biology, Tucson, Arizona |
| 2007 | Dunthorn, M., W. L. A. Katz, “Reassessment of the order Cyrtolophosidida and subclass Oligotrichia (phylum Ciliophora) based on broader taxon sampling,” Society of Molecular Biology and Evolution, Halifax, Nova Scotia |
| 2007 | Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz, “Molecular phylogenetic analysis of class Colpodea (Phylum Ciliophora) using increased taxon sampling,” Thinking Small: Microbial Diversity and Its Role in Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York |
| 2006 | Dunthorn, M., W. Foissner, L. A. Katz, “Monophyly and paraphyly within the class Colpodea (Phylum Ciliophora,” Society of Protozoologists, Troy, New York |
| 2004 | Dunthorn, M., L. A. Katz, “Morphological and molecular analysis of bromeliad-inhabiting ciliates in Ecuador,” International Society of Protozoologists, Smithfield, Rhode Island |
Research Grants
| 2012 | Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft Emmy Noether-Programme Independent Junior Research Group, grant DU1319/1-1 |
Fellowships and Awards
| 2012 | R. P. Hall Fund, International Society of Protistologists |
| 2010 | Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship for Postdoctoral Researchers |
| 2010 | Travel Award, International Society of Protistologists |
| 2008 | International Travel Award for Young Scholars, Society for the Study of Evolution |
| 2008 | Holz-Connor Travel Grant, International Society of Protistologists |
| 2006 | Graduate Student Travel Grant, University of Massachusetts Graduate Program |
| 2005 | Mini-PEET Award, Society of Systematic Biologists |
| 2004 | Graduate Research Award, Society of Systematic Biologists |
| 2004 | Travel Grant, International Society of Protozoologists |
| 2003 | Graduate Student Fellowship, Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium |
| 2003 | Travel Grant, Fourth International Symbiosis Society Congress |
Teaching Experience
| Winter 2011/2012 | Lecture: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecology of Microbial Eukaryotes, University of Kaiserslautern |
| Winter 2012/2013 | Literature Seminar: Sex in Evolutionary Theory, University of Kaiserslautern |
| Winter 2011/2012 | Literature Seminar: Molekulare Biodiversitätsforschung an marinen eukaryotischen Mikroorganismen, University of Kaiserslautern |
| Winter 2010/2011 | Literature Seminar: Molekulare Biodiversitätsforschung an marinen eukaryotischen Mikroorganismen, University of Kaiserslautern |
| Fall 2008 | Cosmos to Humanity—From the Big Bang to the Space Age, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Teaching Assistant |
| Spring 2008 | Cosmos to Humanity—From the Big Bang to the Space Age, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Teaching Assistant |
| Fall 2007 | Cosmos to Humanity—From the Big Bang to the Space Age, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Teaching Assistant |
| Spring 2004 | Environmental Evolution, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Teaching Assistant |
| Fall 2003 | Environmental Evolution, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Teaching Assistant |
| Fall 2002 | Systematic Theory, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador, Lecturer |
Professional Services
| 2012-2016 | Steering Committee, U.S.A. National Science Foundation funded Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Ciliates |
| 2012-2014 | Strategic Planning Committee, International Society of Protistologists |
| 2011-2012 | Nominating Committee, International Society of Protistologists |
| 2010-present | Associate Editor, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology |
| 2010-2012 | Council Member-at-Large, International Society of Phylogenetic Nomenclature |
| 2005 | Co-organizer of First World Summit on Evolution, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador |
Referee for the peer reviewed publications: Acta Protozoologica, BMC Evolutionary Biology, Ecological Indicators, Environmental Microbiology, European Journal of Protistology, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, Journal of Foraminiferal Research, Molecular Ecology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, PLoS One, Protist, Systematics and Biodiversity, Systematic Parasitology, and Zoologica Scripta
