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Rafe Brown
Curator in Charge
Herpetology
Biodiversity Institute

Associate Professor
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
University of Kansas

Contact Information

Office Phone: 
785.864.3403
Email: 
rafe@ku.edu
The Research Group of Rafe Brown
Building: 
Lippincott Annex

Rafe works on evolutionary processes of diversification in island archipelagos, with a particular emphasis in Southeast Asia and Melanesia. Rafe's webpage.

Recent Blog Posts

August 17, 2012
KU herpetology at the World Congress!
The Biodiversity Institute was well represented at the 7th World Congress of...
July 24, 2012
Our last days in the mountains (24 July)
 I caught a glimpse of the mountains as I left the field team, two days...
July 16, 2012
Where once there were two (16 July)
Funny, just after I waxed cathartic about figuring out that one species was...
July 12, 2012
21 years later, the other stream frog shoe drops (12 July)
 Today was a cathartic day in my own personal journey in studies of...
July 9, 2012
Is that a worm??! (9 July)
My new hero is our field camp assistant, Pedro, a.k.a “Baba.”...

Recent Publications

Aside from our individual research, we are currently involved in a number of collaborative projects focusing on phylogenetic systematics, biogeography, and conservation of amphibians and reptiles of SE Asia. See “Current Projects” for details and individual student webpages for descriptions of ongoing projects. Shown above: Barbourula busuangensis, Hemibungarus calligaster, Cyrtodactylus annulatus, and Draco bimaculatus, all from the Philippines.

2010

Welton LJ, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Siler CD.  2010.  Phylogeny-based species delimitation of southern Philippine bent-toed geckos and a new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Zootaxa. 2390:49–68.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Balete D, Diesmos AC.  2010.  A new legless loam-swimming lizard (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae: Genus Brachymeles) from the Bicol Peninsula, Luzon Island, Philippines.. copeia. 2010:114–122.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Linkem CW, Diesmos ML.  2010.  A new species of limestone-forest frog, genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Anura: Ceratobatrachidae) from central Luzon Island, Philippines.. Zootaxa. 2482:49–63.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Esselstyn JA, Oaks JR.  2010.  Phylogeny and biogeography of Philippine bent-toed geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) contradict a prevailing model of Pleistocene diversification.. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 55:699–710.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC.  2010.  A new loam-swimming skink, genus Brachymeles (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from the Bicol faunal region, Luzon and Catanduanes islands, Philippines.. Journal of Herpetology. 44:49–60.
Linkem CW, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Siler CD.  2010.  A new species of Gekko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Luzon Island, Philippines.. Zootaxa. 2396:37–94.
Linkem CW, Brown RM, Hesed K, Diesmos AC.  2010.  Species boundaries and cryptic lineage diversity in a Philippine forest skink complex (Reptilia; Squamata; Scincidae: Lygosominae).. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56:572–585.
Brown RM, Andayani N, Linkem CW, Siler CD, Sukumaran JA, Esselstyn JA, Diesmos AC, Iskandar DT, Bickford DP, Evans BJ.  2010.  Phylogeography and historical demography of Polypedates leucomystax in the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines: evidence for recent human-mediated range expansion? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
Brown RM, Ferner. JW, Linkem CW, Balete D, Duya MV, Diesmos AC.  2010.  Species boundaries in Philippine montane forest skinks (Genus Sphenomorphus): three new species from the mountains of Luzon and clarification of the status of the poorly known S. beyeri, S. knollmanae, and S. laterimaculatus.. Scientific Publications of the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas. 42:1–27.
Brown RM, Rico EL, Diesmos AC, Duya MV, Garcia HJD.  2010.  A new forest gecko (Squamata; Gekkonidae; Genus Luperosaurus) from Mt. Mantalingajan, southern Palawan Island, Philippines.. Journal of Herpetology. 44:37–48.
Gris J, Inger RF, Bauer, A M, Parham JF, Brown RM, Stuart BL, Grismer LL, Papenfuss TJ, Bohme W, Savage J et al..  2010.  On the availability of new Bayesian-delimited gecko names and the importance of character based definitions of species.. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B.
Setiadi MI, Hamidy A, Abidin Z, Susanto D, Brown RM, Peterson ATownsend, Li X, Evans BJ.  2010.  Genetic structure of herpetofauna on Halmahera Island, Indonesia: Implications for Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park. Conservation Biology.

2009

Wiens JJ, Brown RM, Sukumaran JA, Pyron RA.  2009.  Evolutionary and biogeographic origins of high tropical diversity in old world frogs (Ranidae).. Evolution. 64
Siler CD, Brown RM, Rico EL, Duya MR.  2009.  A new limb-reduced skink, genus Brachymeles (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae), from central Luzon Island, Philippines.. Herpetologica. 65:449–459.
Setiadi MI, Hamidy A, Abidin Z, Brown RM, Peterson ATownsend, Li X, Evans BJ.  2009.  Geographic genetic structure of herpetofauna on Halmahera Island, Indonesia: implications for the Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park.. Conservation Biology. 24:553–562.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Alcala AC.  2009.  A new species of limestone forest frogs, genus Platymantis (Amphibia; Anura; Ceratobatrachidae) from Samar Island, Philippines.. Herpetologica. 65
Matsui M, Brown RM, Khonsue W, Grismer LL, Diesmos AC, Sudin A, Das I, Yambun P, Yong H, Liu W et al..  2009.  Phylogenetic Relationships of Ansonia from Southeast Asia inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: Systematic and Biogeographic Implications (Anura: Bufonidae).. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 54:561–170.
Esselstyn JA, Brown RM, Timm RM.  2009.  Do geological or climatic processes drive speciation in dynamic archipelagos? The evolution of shrew diversity on SE Asian islands. Evolution. 63:2595–2610..
Esselstyn JA, Brown RM.  2009.  The role of repeated sea-level fluctuations in the generation of shrew (Soricidae: Crocidura) diversity in the Philippine Archipelago.. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 53:171–181.
Brown RM, Diesmos AC.  2009.  Philippines, Biology. Encyclopedia of Islands..
 

Publications

2010

Welton LJ, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Siler CD.  2010.  Phylogeny-based species delimitation of southern Philippine bent-toed geckos and a new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago. Zootaxa. 2390:49–68.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Balete D, Diesmos AC.  2010.  A new legless loam-swimming lizard (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae: Genus Brachymeles) from the Bicol Peninsula, Luzon Island, Philippines.. copeia. 2010:114–122.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Linkem CW, Diesmos ML.  2010.  A new species of limestone-forest frog, genus Platymantis (Amphibia: Anura: Ceratobatrachidae) from central Luzon Island, Philippines.. Zootaxa. 2482:49–63.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Esselstyn JA, Oaks JR.  2010.  Phylogeny and biogeography of Philippine bent-toed geckos (Gekkonidae: Cyrtodactylus) contradict a prevailing model of Pleistocene diversification.. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 55:699–710.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC.  2010.  A new loam-swimming skink, genus Brachymeles (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae) from the Bicol faunal region, Luzon and Catanduanes islands, Philippines.. Journal of Herpetology. 44:49–60.
Linkem CW, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Siler CD.  2010.  A new species of Gekko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Luzon Island, Philippines.. Zootaxa. 2396:37–94.
Linkem CW, Brown RM, Hesed K, Diesmos AC.  2010.  Species boundaries and cryptic lineage diversity in a Philippine forest skink complex (Reptilia; Squamata; Scincidae: Lygosominae).. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 56:572–585.
Brown RM, Andayani N, Linkem CW, Siler CD, Sukumaran JA, Esselstyn JA, Diesmos AC, Iskandar DT, Bickford DP, Evans BJ.  2010.  Phylogeography and historical demography of Polypedates leucomystax in the islands of Indonesia and the Philippines: evidence for recent human-mediated range expansion? Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.
Brown RM, Ferner. JW, Linkem CW, Balete D, Duya MV, Diesmos AC.  2010.  Species boundaries in Philippine montane forest skinks (Genus Sphenomorphus): three new species from the mountains of Luzon and clarification of the status of the poorly known S. beyeri, S. knollmanae, and S. laterimaculatus.. Scientific Publications of the Natural History Museum of the University of Kansas. 42:1–27.
Brown RM, Rico EL, Diesmos AC, Duya MV, Garcia HJD.  2010.  A new forest gecko (Squamata; Gekkonidae; Genus Luperosaurus) from Mt. Mantalingajan, southern Palawan Island, Philippines.. Journal of Herpetology. 44:37–48.
Gris J, Inger RF, Bauer, A M, Parham JF, Brown RM, Stuart BL, Grismer LL, Papenfuss TJ, Bohme W, Savage J et al..  2010.  On the availability of new Bayesian-delimited gecko names and the importance of character based definitions of species.. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B.
Setiadi MI, Hamidy A, Abidin Z, Susanto D, Brown RM, Peterson ATownsend, Li X, Evans BJ.  2010.  Genetic structure of herpetofauna on Halmahera Island, Indonesia: Implications for Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park. Conservation Biology.

2009

Wiens JJ, Brown RM, Sukumaran JA, Pyron RA.  2009.  Evolutionary and biogeographic origins of high tropical diversity in old world frogs (Ranidae).. Evolution. 64
Siler CD, Brown RM, Rico EL, Duya MR.  2009.  A new limb-reduced skink, genus Brachymeles (Reptilia: Squamata: Scincidae), from central Luzon Island, Philippines.. Herpetologica. 65:449–459.
Setiadi MI, Hamidy A, Abidin Z, Brown RM, Peterson ATownsend, Li X, Evans BJ.  2009.  Geographic genetic structure of herpetofauna on Halmahera Island, Indonesia: implications for the Aketajawe-Lolobata National Park.. Conservation Biology. 24:553–562.
Siler CD, Brown RM, Diesmos AC, Alcala AC.  2009.  A new species of limestone forest frogs, genus Platymantis (Amphibia; Anura; Ceratobatrachidae) from Samar Island, Philippines.. Herpetologica. 65
Matsui M, Brown RM, Khonsue W, Grismer LL, Diesmos AC, Sudin A, Das I, Yambun P, Yong H, Liu W et al..  2009.  Phylogenetic Relationships of Ansonia from Southeast Asia inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: Systematic and Biogeographic Implications (Anura: Bufonidae).. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 54:561–170.
Esselstyn JA, Brown RM, Timm RM.  2009.  Do geological or climatic processes drive speciation in dynamic archipelagos? The evolution of shrew diversity on SE Asian islands. Evolution. 63:2595–2610..
Esselstyn JA, Brown RM.  2009.  The role of repeated sea-level fluctuations in the generation of shrew (Soricidae: Crocidura) diversity in the Philippine Archipelago.. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 53:171–181.
Brown RM, Diesmos AC.  2009.  Philippines, Biology. Encyclopedia of Islands..
dsmcleod's picture
David McLeod
Affiliate
785.864.4479
dsmcleod@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
acampbell's picture
Andrew Campbell
Collection Manager
785.864.4508
andrewc@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
grismer's picture
Jesse Grismer
Graduate Student
785.864.3439
grismer@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
amfuiten's picture
Allison Fuiten
Former Student
785.864.3439
amfuiten@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
ajbarley's picture
Anthony Barley
Graduate Student
785.864.3439
ajbarley@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
jsukumaran's picture
Jeet Sukumaran
Former Student
785.864.3439
jeet@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
joaks's picture
Jamie Oaks
Graduate Student
785.864.3439
joaks1@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall
camsiler's picture
Cameron Siler
Former Student
785.864.3241
camsiler@ku.edu
Herpetology
Dyche Hall

KU herpetology at the World Congress!
August 17, 2012

The Biodiversity Institute was well represented at the 7th World Congress of Herpetology held on August 8–13 in Vancouver, Canada. Among the 1700+ delegates from 41 countries were Rafe Brown, Bill Duellman, Linda Trueb, KU undergraduates, our new curator, Dr. Rich Glor, and 19 former herpetology students who had received PhDs at KU between 1974 and 2012. Among them was Dr. Joseph R. Mendelson III (PhD, 1997), now president of the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

 

 

0 comments
Our last days in the mountains (24 July)
July 24, 2012
 I caught a glimpse of the mountains as I left the field team, two days ago.  Over the last 48 hours Dr. Tess...
Where once there were two (16 July)
July 16, 2012
Funny, just after I waxed cathartic about figuring out that one species was actually two, today I experienced a kind of...
21 years later, the other stream frog shoe drops (12 July)
July 12, 2012
 Today was a cathartic day in my own personal journey in studies of Philippine biodiversity.  The story...
Is that a worm??! (9 July)
July 9, 2012
My new hero is our field camp assistant, Pedro, a.k.a “Baba.”  Every day or two Baba brings me a...
A hundred years ago, there were no roads to Bunawan (1 July)
July 1, 2012
Half way through our expeditionary celebration of a century of KU Herpetology in the Philippines, I left the team on...
The oldest Batesian trick in the book
June 21, 2012
I’m proud to say, a few days ago at Camp Putik, I fell for the oldest trick I the book.  Million of years of...
Hubble-hubbling in the Philippine boondocks
June 18, 2012
Transportation in the rural Philippine countryside can be a challenge.  Getting away from the city centers,...
Good Company
June 15, 2012
As the centennial KU Philippine expedition continues, we are all continually impressed by the abilities, incredible...
A Fungus Among us at Camp Putik on Mt. Hilong-hilong
June 9, 2012
    From the coast of Agusan Del Norte, Mt Hilong-hilong looks pretty tame.  “Hilong”...
Tadpole Conundrum, the Philippines
June 4, 2012
It’s always interesting to see how people adjust to life in camp when first arriving in the field.  I am...

From the Biodiversity Insitute blog

Species of the Month: July
July 7, 2009
The Gyrinidae are a family of charismatic aquatic Coleoptera commonly known as whirligig beetles, for their gyrating swimming style. Gyrinids are peculiar for having completely divided eyes...
Read more
The Perija
July 6, 2009
        We  left for a quick 2-day trip to the small village of Tukuko, an outpost at the foot of the Serrania de Perija (see photo at left)--the mountain range that...
Read more
Arrival
July 3, 2009
We arrived safely in Maracaibo yesterday. Today is for errands and setting up other logistical details for the trip. Stay tuned for an actual update...
Read more
Dragon Eyes, Vol. II
April 9, 2009
      Now that you are caught up on my Liquid F emergencies, I can fill you in on what happened just a few days into our trip to the central islands. After a brief visit to Cebu...
Read more
Sniper Leaf
April 7, 2009
We were in Hinoba-an, a municipality in the southwestern half of Negros Island. The mission was to try to collect the first genetic samples in the world of a burrowing species of lizard first...
Read more
Dragon Eyes, Vol. I
April 5, 2009
I wouldn’t necessarily call myself clumsy, but at times I wonder if I should. My recent trip to the central Philippine islands had its first disaster a mere 3 days into the trip. However,...
Read more
March Summary
April 2, 2009
The word of the month for March was exhausting! I spent 26 days traveling through several islands in the central Philippines. I have created a little digital map to summarize the trip. We went from...
Read more
The biggest pig I have ever seen…
April 1, 2009
There we were, just outside of Dumaguete City. We had been trying to access a small watershed at the foot of Mt. Talinis in southeast Negros Island. While we couldn’t access the area during...
Read more
The Infamous PAMB Meeting
March 31, 2009
[ibimage==676==270-scale-rounded==none==self==ibimage_img-left] It sounds more interesting than it actually is. PAMB stands for Protected Area Management Board. To access any protected national parks...
Read more
Don’t forget the keys!
March 30, 2009
Finally back in Manila you would think the bad luck would have stayed in the Visayan (central) Islands. Just so you all know, if you plan on joining a friend outside your apartment after midnight...
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