Robert G. Moyle

Associate Professor
Ornithology
Ph.D. Louisiana State University
Dyche Hall
Phone: (785) 864-1870

 

Ornithology division, Biodiversity Research Center

Research Interests

In the broadest sense my research seeks to understand the patterns and processes of avian diversification. More specifically I am interested in three broad topics; the historical biogeography of pantropical groups, patterns of endemism and drivers of diversification in SE Asia and the tropical Pacific, and the evolution of life history traits within tropical groups.

Even in “well studied” groups like birds, relatively little is known about diversity in the tropics. Because of this, the first step in much of my research is to accurately account for this diversity, generally using museum collections and genetic surveys to reveal populations that have independent histories and field surveys to document current distributions and community structure. The genetic data are then used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of groups of interest.

These evolutionary histories can be combined with natural history data and used to test hypotheses about factors that might influence diversification. Much of my work focuses on two insular regions (Melanesia and the Philippines/Greater Sunda islands) that are ideal systems for studying the tempo and mode of speciation in birds. Field expeditions are a large component of my research program, for specimen acquisition as well as collecting life history data.

Recent Publications

Reddy, S & RG Moyle.  Systematics of the scimitar babblers (Pomatorhinus: Timaliidae): phylogeny, biogeography, and species-limits of four species-complexes.  Biological Journal of the Linnean Society.

Lim, HC, MA Rahman, SLH Lim, RG Moyle & FH Sheldon.  Revisiting Wallace’s haunt: Coalescent simulations and comparative niche modeling reveal historical mechanisms that promoted population divergence in the Malay Archipelago.  Evolution.

Danielsen, F, CE Filardi, KA Jonsson, V Kohaia, N Krabbe, JB Kristensen, RG Moyle, P Pikacha, MK Poulsen, MK Sorensen, C Tatahu, J Waihuru & J Fjeldsa. 2010.  Endemic avifaunal biodiversity and tropical forest loss in Makira, a mountainous Pacific island.  Singapore Journal of Tropical Geography 31(1) 100-114.

Jønsson, KA, RCK Bowie, RG Moyle, L Christidis, JA Norman, BW Benz & Jon Fjeldsa . 2010. Historical biogeography of an Indo-Pacific passerine bird family: Pachycephalidae: Different colonization patterns in the Indonesian and Melanesian archipelagos.  Journal of Biogeography 37(2):245–257.

Derryberry, E, S Claramunt, RT Chesser, A Aleixo, J Cracraft, RG Moyle & RT Brumfield.  2010. Certhiasomus, a new genus of woodcreeper (Aves: Passeriformes: Dendrocolaptidae).  Zootaxa 2416: 44–50.

Lohman, DJ, KK Ingram, DM Prawiradilaga, K Winker, FH Sheldon, RG Moyle, PKL Ng, PS Ong, LK Wang, TM Braile, D Astuti, & R Meier. 2010. Cryptic genetic diversity in "widespread" Southeast Asian bird species suggests that Philippine avian endemism is gravely underestimated. Biological Conservation 143:1885–1890.

Sánchez-González, LA, C Oliveros, N Puna & RG Moyle.  2010. Nests, nest placement, and eggs of three Philippine endemic birds.  Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 122(3):587–591.

Jønsson, KA, RCK Bowie, RG Moyle, M Irestedt, L Christidis, JA Norman & Jon Fjeldsa. 2010. Phylogeny and biogeography of Oriolidae (Aves: Passeriformes).  Ecography 33:232–241.

Lim, HC, F Zou, SS Taylor, BD Marks, RG Moyle, G Voelker & FH Sheldon.  2010. Phylogeny of magpie-robins and shamas (Aves: Turdidae: Copsychus and Trichixos): implications for island biogeography in Southeast Asia.  Journal of Biogeography 37:1894–1906.

Hosner, PA, FH Sheldon, HC Lim & RG Moyle.  2010. Phylogeny and biogeography of the Asian trogons (Aves: Trogoniformes) inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences.  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57:1219–1225.

Esselstyn, JA, CH Oliveros, RG Moyle, AT Peterson, JA McGuire, and RM Brown.  2010. Integrating phylogenetic and taxonomic evidence illuminates complex biogeographic patterns along Huxley’s modification of Wallace’s Line.  Journal of Biogeography 37:2054–2066.

Lim, H-C, FH Sheldon & RG Moyle.  2010. Extensive color polymorphism in the Southeast Asian Oriental dwarf kingfisher Ceyx erithaca: a result of gene flow during population divergence?  Journal of Avian Biology 41:305–318.

Oliveros, CH & RG Moyle.  2010. Origin and diversification of Philippine bulbuls.  Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54(3): 822–832.

Moyle, RG, CE Filardi, CE Smith & J Diamond. 2009. Explosive Pleistocene diversification and hemispheric expansion in a ‘great speciator’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 106(6): 1863–1868.

Uy, JAC, RG Moyle & CE Filardi. 2009. Plumage and song differences mediate species recognition between incipient flycatcher species of the Solomon Islands. Evolution 63(1): 153–164.

Moyle, RG, RT Chesser, RT Brumfield, JG Tello, DJ Marchese & J Cracraft. In press. Phylogeny and phylogenetic classification of the antbirds, ovenbirds, woodcreepers, and allies (Aves: Passeriformes: Infraorder Furnariides). Cladistics.

Uy, JAC, RG Moyle, CE Filardi & ZA Cheviron. In press. Difference in plumage color used in species recognition between incipient species is linked to a single amino acid substitution in the melanocortin-1 receptor. American Naturalist.

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