Miguel Vences

Vita:

1989-1993 Universität zu Köln; 1992 Vordiplom

1993-1996 Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 1996 Diplom (Prof. W. Böhme)

1997-2000 Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, 2000 Dr. rer nat. (Prof. W. Böhme)

2000-2001 Postdoc, Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France (Prof. A. Dubois)

2001-2002 Postdoc, Institute of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany (Prof. A. Meyer)

2002-2005 Assistant Professor and Head of the Vertebrate Section, Zoological Museum, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2005-  Professor for Zoology and Evolutionary Biology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany

Research interests:

• Patterns and processes of species formation
• Biogeography of Madagascar and surrounding islands
• Amphibian phylogeny and systematics
• Rapid assessment methods for biodiversity research

Selected publications:

Selected publications 2007-2019 - for a complete list of publications, see http://www.mvences.de

Garcia-Porta, J., I. Irisarri, M. Kirchner, A. Rodríguez, S. Kirchhof, J.L. Brown, A. MacLeod, A.P. Turner, F. Ahmadzadeh, G. Albaladejo, J. Crnobrnja-Isailovic, I. De la Riva, A. Fawzi, P. Galán, B. Göçmen, D. J. Harris, O. Jiménez-Robles, U. Joger, O. Jovanovic Glavas, M. Karis, G. Koziel, S. Künzel, M. Lyra, D. Miles, M. Nogales, M.A. Oguz, P. Pafilis, L. Rancilhac, N. Rodríguez, B. Rodríguez Concepción, E. Sanchez, D. Salvi, T. Slimani, A. S’khifa, A.T. Qashqaei, A. Zagar, A. Lemmon, E. Moriarty Lemmon, M. A. Carretero, S. Carranza, H. Philippe, B. Sinervo, J. Müller, M. Vences, K.C. Wollenberg Valero (2019) Environmental temperatures shape thermal physiology as well as diversification and genome-wide substitution rates in lizards. – Nature Communications 10: 4077.

Kueneman, J.G., M.C. Bletz, V.J. McKenzie, C. G. Becker, M.B. Joseph, J.G. Abarca, H.Archer, A.L. Arellano, A. Bataille, M. Becker, L.K. Belden, A. Crottini , R. Geffers, C. F. B. Haddad, R.N. Harris, W.M. Holden, M. Hughey, M. Jarek, P.J. Kearns, J.L. Kerby, J. Kielgast, A. Kurabayashi, A.V. Longo, A. Loudon, D. Medina, J.J. Nuñez, R.G.B. Perl, A. Pinto-Tomás, F.C.E. Rabemananjara, E.A. Rebollar, A. Rodríguez, L. Rollins-Smith, R. Stevenson, C.C. Tebbe, G. Vargas Asensio, B. Waldman, J.B. Walke, S.M. Whitfield, K.R. Zamudio, I. Zúñiga Chaves, D.C. Woodhams & M. Vences (2019): Community richness of amphibian skin bacteria correlates with bioclimate at the global scale. – Nature Ecology and Evolution 3: 381-389.

Bletz, M.C., M. Kelly, J. Sabino-Pinto, E. Bales, S. Van Praet, W. Bert, F. Boyen, M. Vences, S. Steinfartz, F. Pasmans & A. Martel (2018): Disruption of skin microbiota contributes to salamander disease. – Proceedings of the Royal Society B 285: 20180758.

Marshall, B.M., N.R. Casewell, M. Vences, F. Glaw, F. Andreone, A. Rakotoarison, G. Zancolli, F. Woog, W. Wüster (2018): Widespread vulnerability of Malagasy predators to the toxins of an introduced toad. – Current Biology 28: R635–R655.

Rakotoarison, A., M.D. Scherz, F. Glaw, J. Köhler, F. Andreone, M. Franzen, J. Glos, O. Hawlitschek, T. Jono, A. Mori, S.H. Ndriantsoa, N. Rasoamampionona Raminosoa, J.C. Riemann, M.O. Rödel, G.M. Rosa, D.R. Vieites, A. Crottini & M. Vences (2017): Describing the smaller majority: integrative taxonomy reveals twenty-six new species of tiny microhylid frogs (genus Stumpffia) from Madagascar. – Vertebrate Zoology 67: 271-398.

Irisarri, I., D. Baurain, H. Brinkmann, F. Delsuc, J.Y. Sire, A. Kupfer, J. Petersen, M. Jarek, A. Meyer, M. Vences & H. Philippe (2017): Phylotranscriptomic consolidation of the jawed vertebrate timetree. – Nature Ecology and Evolution 1: 1370-1378.

Wollenberg Valero, K.C., J. Garcia-Porta, A. Rodríguez, M. Arias, A. Shah, R.D. Randrianiaina, J.L. Brown, F. Glaw, F. Amat, S. Künzel, D. Metzler, R.D. Isokpehi & M. Vences (2017): Transcriptomic and macroevolutionary evidence for phenotypic uncoupling between frog life history phases. – Nature Communications 8: 15213.

Bletz, M.C., R.G.B. Perl, B.T.C. Bobowski, L.M. Japke, C.C. Tebbe, A.B. Dohrmann, S. Bhuju, R. Geffers, M. Jarek, M. Vences (2017): Amphibian skin microbiota exhibits temporal variation in community structure but stability of predicted Bd-inhibitory function. – The ISME Journal 11: 1521-1534.

Bletz, M.C., D.J. Goedbloed, E. Sanchez, T. Reinhardt, C.C. Tebbe, S. Bhuju, R. Geffers, M. Jarek, M. Vences & S. Steinfartz (2016): Amphibian gut microbiota shifts differentially in community structure but converges on habitat-specific predicted functions. – Nature Communications 7: 13699.

MacLeod, A., A. Rodríguez, M. Vences, P. Orozco-terWengel, C. García, F. Trillmich, G. Gentile, A. Caccone, G. Quezada & S. Steinfartz (2015): Hybridization masks speciation in the evolutionary history of the Galápagos marine iguana. – Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282: 20150425.

Brown, J.L., A. Cameron, A.D. Yoder & M. Vences (2014): A necessarily complex model to explain the biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar. – Nature Communications 5: e5046.

MacLeod, A., A. Rodríguez, M. Vences, P. Orozco-terWengel, C. García, F. Trillmich, G. Gentile, A. Caccone, G. Quezada & S. Steinfartz (2015): Hybridization masks speciation in the evolutionary history of the Galápagos marine iguana. - Proceedings of the Royal Society B 282: 20150425.

Bletz, M.C., G.M. Rosa, F. Andreone, E.A. Courtois, D.S. Schmeller, N.H.C. Rabibisoa, F.C.E. Rabemananjara, L. Raharivololoniaina, M. Vences, C. Weldon, D. Edmonds, C.J. Raxworthy, R.N. Harris, M.C. Fisher & A. Crottini (2015): Widespread presence of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in wild amphibian communities in Madagascar. - Scientific Reports 5: 8633.

Brown, J.L., A. Cameron, A.D. Yoder & M. Vences (2014): A necessarily complex model to explain the biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar. - Nature Communications 5: e5046.

Tolley, K.A., T.M. Townsend & M. Vences (2013): Large-scale phylogeny of chameleons suggests African origins and Eocene diversification. - Proceedings of the Royal Society B 280: e20130184.

Biton, R., E. Geffen, M. Vences, O. Cohen, S. Bailon, R. Rabinovich, Y. Malka, T. Oron, R. Boistel, V. Brumfeld & S. Gafny (2013): The rediscovered Hula painted frog is a living fossil. - Nature Communications 4: e1959.

Vences, M., J.M. Guayasamin, A. Miralles & I. de la Riva (2013): To name or not to name: Criteria to promote economy of change in Linnaean classification schemes. - Zootaxa 3636: 201-244.

Irisarri, I., D. San Mauro, F. Abascal, A. Ohler, M. Vences & R. Zardoya (2012): The origin of modern frogs (Neobatrachia) was accompanied by acceleration in mitochondrial and nuclear substitution rates. - BMC Genomics 13: e626.

Crottini, A., O. Madsen, C. Poux, A. Strauß, D.R. Vieites & M. Vences (2012): Vertebrate time-tree elucidates the biogeographic pattern of a major biotic change around the K-T boundary in Madagascar. - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 109: 5358-5363.

Samonds, K.A., L.R. Godfrey, J.R. Ali, S.M. Goodman, M. Vences, M.R. Sutherland, M.T. Irwin & D.W. Krause (2012) Spatial and temporal arrival patterns of Madagascar's vertebrate fauna explained by distance, ocean currents, and ancestor type. - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 109: 5352-5357.

Poth, D., K. C. Wollenberg, M. Vences & S. Schulz (2012): Volatile amphibian pheromones: macrolides of mantellid frogs from Madagascar. - Angewandte Chemie International Edition 51: 2187-2190.

Rodríguez, A., D. Poth, S. Schulz & M. Vences (2011): Discovery of skin alkaloids in a miniaturized eleutherodactylid frog from Cuba. - Biology Letters 7: 414-418.

Reeve, E., S. H. Ndriantsoa, A. Strauß, R.-D. Randrianiaina, T. Rasolonjatovo Hiobiarilanto, F. Glaw, J. Glos & M. Vences (2011): Acoustic underwater signals with a probable function during competitive feeding in a tadpole. - Naturwissenschaften 98: 135-143.

Padial, J. M., A. Miralles, I. de la Riva & M. Vences (2010): The integrative future of taxonomy. - Frontiers in Zoology 7: article 16.

Vences, M., K. C. Wollenberg, D. R. Vieites & D. C. Lees (2009): Madagascar as a model region of species diversification. - Trends in Ecology and Evolution 24: 456-465.

Vieites, D.R., K. C. Wollenberg, F. Andreone, J. Köhler, F. Glaw & M. Vences (2009): Vast underestimation of Madagascar's biodiversity evidenced by an integrative amphibian inventory. - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. 106: 8267-8272.

Verneau, O., L. H. Du Preez, V. Laurent, L. Raharivololoniaina, F. Glaw & M. Vences (2009): The double odyssey of Madagascan polystome flatworms leads to new insights on the origins of their amphibian hosts. - Proceedings of the Royal Society B 276: 1575-1583.

Aliabadian, M., M. Kaboli, V. Nijman & M. Vences (2009): Molecular identification of birds: performance of distance-based DNA barcoding in three genes to delimit parapatric species. - PLoS ONE 4 (1): e4119.

Kurabayashi, A., M. Sumida, H. Yonekawa, F. Glaw, M. Vences & M. Hasegawa (2008): Phylogeny, recombination, and mechanisms of stepwise mitochondrial genome reorganization in mantellid frogs from Madagascar. - Molecular Biology and Evolution 25: 874-891.

Kremen, C., A. Cameron, A. Moilanen, S. J. Phillips, C. D. Thomas, H. Beentje, J. Dransfield, B. L. Fisher, F. Glaw, T. C. Good, G. J. Harper, R. J. Hijmans, D. C. Lees, E. Louis Jr., R. A. Nussbaum, C. J. Raxworthy, A. Razafimpahanana, G. E. Schatz, M. Vences, D. R. Vieites & M. L. Zjhra (2008): Aligning conservation priorities across taxa in Madagascar with high-resolution planning tools. - Science 320: 222-226.

Vences, M. & D. B. Wake. Speciation, species boundaries and phylogeography of amphibians. - In: Heatwole, H. H. & M. Tyler (eds.): Amphibian Biology, Vol. 6, Systematics: pp. 2613-2669. - Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton, Australia.

Fouquet, A., A. Gilles, M. Vences, C. Marty, M. Blanc & N. J. Gemmell (2007): Underestimation of species richness in Neotropical frogs revealed by mtDNA analyses. - PLoS ONE 2(10): e1109. (PDF)

Grosjean, S., J. Glos, M. Teschke, F. Glaw & M. Vences (2007): Comparative larval morphology of Madagascan toadlets of the genus Scaphiophryne: phylogenetic and taxonomic inferences. - Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 151: 555-576.

Vences, M., G. Wahl-Boos, S. Hoegg, F. Glaw, E. Spinelli Oliveira, A. Meyer & S. Perry (2007): Molecular systematics of mantelline frogs from Madagascar and the evolution of their femoral glands. - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 92: 529-539.

Wollenberg, K. C., F. Glaw, A. Meyer & M. Vences (2007): Molecular phylogeny of Malagasy reed frogs, Heterixalus, and the relative performance of bioacoustics and color-patterns for resolving their systematics. - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45: 14-22.

Glaw, F., J. Köhler, P. Bora, N. H. C. Rabibisoa, O. Ramilijaona & M. Vences (2007): Discovery of the genus Plethodontohyla (Anura: Microhylidae) in dry western Madagascar: description of a new species and biogeographic implications. - Zootaxa 1577: 61-68.

Van der Meijden, A., M. Vences, S. Hoegg, R. Boistel, A. Channing & A. Meyer (2007): Nuclear gene phylogeny of narrow-mouthed toads (Family: Microhylidae) and a discussion of competing hypotheses concerning their biogeographical origins. - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44: 1017-1030.

Fouquet, A., M. Vences, M-D. Salducci, A. Meyer, C. Marty, M. Blanc & A. Gilles (2007): Revealing cryptic diversity using molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography in frogs of the Scinax ruber and Rhinella margaritifera species groups. - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 43: 567-582.

Aliabadian, M., M. Kaboli, R. Prodon, V. Nijman & M. Vences (2007): Phylogeny of Palearctic wheatears (genus Oenanthe) - Congruence between morphometric and molecular data. - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 42: 665-675.

Odierna, G., G. Aprea, F. Andreone, W. Böhme & M. Vences (2007): Cytosystematics of hyperoliid frogs: Phylogeny of Heterixalus, low karyotypic variability in hyperoliines and separate phylogenetic position of Leptopelis. - Italian Journal of Zoology 74: 71-81.

Randrianiaina, R.-D., F. Glaw, M. Thomas, J. Glos, N. Raminosoa & M. Vences (2007): Descriptions of the tadpoles of two species of Gephyromantis, with a discussion of the phylogenetic origin of direct development in mantellid frogs. - Zootaxa 1401: 53-61.

Rabemananjara, F. C. E., Y. Chiari, O. Ravoahangimalala Ramilijaona & M. Vences (2007): Evidence for recent gene flow between north-eastern and south-eastern Madagascar from a phylogeography of the Mantella cowani group. - Frontiers in Zoology 4: article 1. (PDF)

Measey, G. J., M. Vences, R. C. Drewes, Y. Chiari, M. Melo & B. Bourles (2007): Freshwater paths across the ocean: molecular phylogeny of the frog Ptychadena newtoni gives insights into amphibian colonization of oceanic islands. - Journal of Biogeography 34: 7-20.