Zoology staff directory

Research interests

Herpetology, especially the biology of extinct and extant archosaurian reptiles, and of caecilian amphibians (Gymnophiona) and burrowing snakes - including alpha taxonomy, anatomy, molecular and morphological systematics, ecology, biogeography, life-history evolution, and conservation. I am also interested in the theory and methods of phylogenetic inference, particularly character formulation for morphological data.

Current activities

 

Contracts, grants, awards

 

Employment history

	University of Bristol - Leverhulme Postdoctoral Research Assistant
1994 - 1997	University of Bristol - NERC Postdoctoral Research Assistant
1995 - 1996	Universität Tübingen, Germany - Royal Society European Research Fellow
1999 - 2004	The Natural History Museum - Research Assistant, Herpetology Research Group, Dept of Zoology
2004 - present	The Natural History Museum - Herpetology Researcher, Herpetology Research Group, Dept of Zoology

Higher education

1990	Univ. of Reading - BSc (Hons)
1994	Univ. of Bristol - PhD

Publications

62. Kupfer, A., Gaucher, P., Wilkinson, M. & Gower, D. J. (2006) Passive trapping of aquatic caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Typhlonectidae). Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment. 41: 93-96.

61. Gower, D. J. & Nesbitt, S. J. (2006) The braincase of Arizonasaurus babbitti - further evidence for the non-monophyly of rauisuchians. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26: 79-87.

60. Jones, D. T., Loader, S. P. & Gower, D. J. (2006) Trophic ecology of East African caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona), and their impact on forest soil invertebrates. Journal of Zoology, London 269: 117-126.

59. Grismer, L. L., Youmans, T. M., Wood, P. L., Ponce, A., Wright, S. B., Jones, B. S., Johnson, R., Sanders, K. L., Gower, D. J., Yaakob, N. S. & Lim, K. K. P. (2006) Checklist of the herpetofauna of Pulau Langkawi, Malaysia, with comments on taxonomy. Hamadryad 30: 61-74.

58. San Mauro, D., Gower, D. J., Zardoya, R. A & Wilkinson, M. (2005) A hotspot of gene order rearrangement by tandem duplication and random loss in the vertebrate mitochondrial genome Molecular Biology and Evolution 23: 227-234.

57. Gower, D. J., Vidal, N., Spinks, J. N. & McCarthy, C. J. (2005) The phylogenetic position of Anomochilidae (Reptilia: Serpentes): first evidence from DNA sequences. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 43: 315-320.

56. Measey, G. J. & Gower, D. J. (2005) Externally measured condition versus internal organ mass in the caecilian Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae). Zoological Science 22: 445-452.

55. Zaher, H., Souza, I., Gower, D. J., Hingst-Zaher, E. & Jorge da Silva, N. (2005) Redescription of Atractus albuquerquei (Serpentes: Colubridae: Dipsadinae), with comments on geographical distribution and intraspecific variation. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo 45: 19-32.

54. Bossuyt, F., Beenaerts, N., Meegaskumbura, M., Gower, D. J., Pethiyagoda, R., Roelants, K., Mannaert, A., Wilkinson, M., Bahir, M. M., Manamendra-Arachchi, K., Oommen, O. V., Ng, P. K. L., Schneider, C. J., & Milinkovitch, M. C. (2005) Biodiversity in Sri Lanka and the Western Ghats. Science 308: 199.

53. Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2005) Conservation biology of caecilian amphibians. Conservation Biology 19: 45-55.

52. Gower, D. J., Bahir, M., Mapatuna, Y., Pethiyagoda, R., Raheem, D. & Wilkinson, M. (2005) Molecular phylogenetics of Sri Lankan Ichthyophis (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae), with discovery of a cryptic species. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology, Supplement 12: 153-161.

51. Gower, D. J., Loader, S. P., Moncrieff, C. B. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) Niche separation and comparative abundance of Boulengerula boulengeri and Scolecomorphus vittatus (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) in an East Usambara forest, Tanzania. African Journal of Herpetology 53: 183-190.

50. Giri, V., Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) A new species of Indotyphlus Taylor (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the Western Ghats of India. Zootaxa 739: 1-19.

49. Loader, S. P., Gower, D. J., Clarke, B. T., Howell, K. M., Doggart, N., Rödel, M.-O., de Sá, R. O., Cohen, B. L. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) Phylogenetic relationships of African microhylid frogs inferred from DNA sequences of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution. 4: 227-235.

48. Gower, D. J., Bhatta, G., Giri, V., Oommen, O. V., Ravichandran, M. S. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) Biodiversity in the Western Ghats: the discovery of new species of caecilian amphibians. Current Science 87: 739-740.

47. Bossuyt, F., Beenaerts, N., Meegaskumbura, M., Gower, D. J., Pethiyagoda, R., Roelants, K., Mannaert, A., Wilkinson, M., Bahir, M. M., Manamendra-Arachchi, K., Oommen, O. V., Ng, P. K. L., Schneider, C. J., & Milinkovitch, M. C. (2004) Local endemism within the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot. Science 306: 479-481.

46. Gower, D. J., Loader, S. P. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) Assessing the conservation status of soil-dwelling vertebrates: insights from the rediscovery of Typhlops uluguruensis (Reptilia: Serpentes: Typhlopidae). Systematics and Biodiversity 2: 79-82.

45. San Mauro, D., Gower, D. J., Oommen, O. V., Wilkinson, M. & Zardoya, R. (2004) A mitogenomic and nuclear gene phylogeny of caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33: 413-427.

44. Gower, D. J., Rasmussen, J. B., Loader, S. P. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) The burrowing asp Atractaspis aterrima Günther as a predator of the caecilian amphibian Scolecomorphus kirkii Boulenger: Trophic relationships of fossorial vertebrates. African Journal of Ecology 42: 83-87.

43. Wilkinson, M., Loader, S. P., Müller, H. & Gower, D. J. (2004) Taxonomic status and phylogenetic relationships of Boulengerula denhardti Nieden, 1912 (Amphibia, Gymnophiona, Caeciliidae). Mitteilungen aus dem Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, Zoologische Reihe 80: 41-51.

42. Captain, A., Gower, D. J., David, P. & Bauer, A. M. (2004) Taxonomic status of the colubrid snake Sibynophis subpunctatus (Duméril, Bibron & Duméril). Hamadryad 28: 90-94.

41. Measey, G. J., Gower, D. J., Oommen, O. V. & Wilkinson, M. (2004) A subterranean generalist predator: diet of the fossorial caecilian Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Amphibia; Gymnophiona; Caeciliidae) in southern India. Comptes Rendus Biologies 327: 65-76.

40. Harris, S. R., Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2003) Phylogenetic methods and aetosaur interrelationships: A rejoinder. Systematic Biology 52: 851-852.

39. Wilkinson, M., Müller, H. & Gower, D. J. (2003) On Herpele multiplicata (Amphibia: Gymnophiona Caeciliidae). African Journal of Herpetology 52: 119-122.

38. Wilkinson, M., Loader, S. P., Gower, D. J., Sheps, J. A. & Cohen, B. L. (2003) Phylogenetic relationships of African Caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona): Insights from mitochondrial rRNA Gene Sequences. African Journal of Herpetology 52: 83-92.

37. Giri, V., Wilkinson, M. & Gower, D. J. (2003) A new species of Gegeneophis Peters (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from the Western Ghats of southern Maharashtra, India, with a key to the species of the genus. Zootaxa 351: 1-10.

36. Ravichandran, M. S., Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2003) A new species of Gegeneophis Peters (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) from Maharashtra, India. Zootaxa 350: 1-8.

35. Gower, D. J. (2003) Scale microornamentation in uropeltid snakes. Journal of Morphology 258: 249-268.

34. Measey, G. J., Gower, D. J., Oommen, O. V. & Wilkinson, M. (2003) A pilot mark-recapture study of the caecilian amphibian Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae) in southern India. Journal of Zoology 261: 129-133.

33. Gower, D. J. (2003) Osteology of the early archosaurian reptile Erythrosuchus africanus, Broom. Annals of the South African Museum 110: 1-84.

32. Kupfer, A. Gower, D. J. & Himstedt, W. (2003) Field observations on the predation of the caecilian amphibian Ichthyophis sp. by the red-tailed pipe snake Cylindrophis ruffus. Amphibia-Reptilia 24: 212-215.

31. Harris, S. R., Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2003) Intraorganismal homology, character construction and the phylogeny of aetosaurian archosaurs (Reptilia, Diapsida). Systematic Biology 52: 239-252.

30. Measey, G. J., Gower, D. J., Oommen, O. V. & Wilkinson, M. (2003) Quantitative surveying of limbless endogeic vertebrates - a case study of Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) in southern India. Applied Soil Ecology 23: 43-53.

29. Wilkinson, M., Lapointe, F.-J. & Gower, D. J. (2003) Branch lengths and support. Systematic Biology 52: 127-130.

28. Loader, S. P., Wilkinson, M., Gower, D. J. & Msuya, C. A. (2003) A remarkable young Scolecomorphus vittatus (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Scolecomorphidae) from the North Pare Mountains, Tanzania. Journal of Zoology 259: 93-101.

27. Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2002) Phallus morphology in caecilians and its systematic utility. Bulletin of the Natural History Museum, Zoology Series 68: 143-154.

26. Presswell, B., Gower, D. J., Oommen, O. V., Measey, G. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2002) Scolecophidian snakes in the diets of south Asian caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Herpetological Journal 12: 123-126.

25. Wilkinson, M., Richardson, M. K., Gower, D. J. & Oommen, O. V. (2002) Extended embryo retention, caecilian oviparity and amniote origins. Journal of Natural History 36: 2185-2198.

24. Gower, D. J. (2002) Braincase evolution in suchian archosaurs: evidence from the rauisuchian Batrachotomus. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136: 49-76.

23. Gower, D. J. & Walker, A. D. (2002) New data on the braincase of the aetosaurian archosaur (Reptilia: Diapsida) Stagonolepis robertsoni Agassiz. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136: 7-23.

22. Benton, M. J. & Gower, D. J. (2002) Alick D Walker 1925-1999: an appreciation. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 136: 1-5.

21. Norman, D. B. & Gower, D. J. (eds) (2002) Archosaurian anatomy and palaeontology. Essays in memory of Alick D. Walker. 169pp. Blackwell Scientific Publications.

20. Gower, D. J., Kupfer, A., Oommen, O. V., Himstedt, W., Nussbaum, R. A , Loader, S. P., Presswell, B., Müller, H., Krishna, S. B.,Boistel, R. & Wilkinson, M. (2002) A molecular phylogeny of ichthyophiid caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Ichthyophiidae): Out of India or out of southeast Asia? Proceedings of the Royal Society B 269: 1563-1569.

19. Measey, G. J., Gower, D. J., Oommen, O. V. & Wilkinson, M. (2001) Permanent marking of a fossorial caecilian, Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Amphibia: Gymnophiona: Caeciliidae). Journal of South Asian Natural History 5: 109-115.

18. Gower, D. J. (2001) Possible postcranial pneumaticity in the last common ancestor of birds and crocodilians - evidence from Erythrosuchus and other early archosaurs. Naturwissenschaften 88: 119-122.

17. Gower, D. J. (2000) Rauisuchian archosaurs (Reptilia, Diapsida): an overview. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Abhandlungen 218: 447-488.

16. Oommen, O. V., Measey, G. J., Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (2000) Distribution and abundance of Gegeneophis ramaswamii (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) in Kerala. Current Science 79: 1386-1389. 

15. Gower, D. J. & Sennikov, A. G. (2000) Early Archosaurs from Russia.  In  M. J. Benton, E. N. Kurochkin, M. A. Shishkin, & D. M. Unwin (eds) The age of dinosaurs in Russia and Mongolia 140-159. Cambridge University Press.

14. Gower, D. J. (1999) Cranial osteology of a new rauisuchian archosaur from the Middle Triassic of southern Germany. Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde B 280: 1-49

13. Vincent, J. F. V. & Gower, D. J. (1999) Structure of the cuttlefish phragmocone. In E. Savazzi (ed.) Functional morphology of the invertebrate skeleton 350-354. John Wiley & sons, Chichester.

12. Wilkinson, M., Upchurch, P, Barrett, P. M., Gower, D. J. & Benton, M. J. (1998) Robust dinosaur phylogeny? Nature 396: 423-424. 

11. Gower, D. J. & Weber, E. (1998) The braincase of Euparkeria, and the evolutionary relationships of birds and crocodilians. Biological Reviews 73: 367-411. 

10. Gower, D. J. (1997) The braincase of the early archosaur Erythrosuchus africanus Broom. Journal of Zoology 242: 557-576. 

9. Benton, M. J. & Gower, D. J. (1997) Richard Owen's giant Triassic frogs - Middle Triassic archosaurs from England. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17: 74-88.

8. Gower, D. J. & Sennikov, A. G. (1997) Sarmatosuchus and the early history of the Archosauria. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 17: 60-73.

7. Gower, D. & Vincent, J. F. V. (1996) The mechanical design of the cuttlebone and its bathymetric implications. Biomimetics 4: 37-57. 

6. Gower, D. J. & Sennikov, A. G. (1996) Morphology and phylogenetic informativeness of early archosaur braincases. Palaeontology 39: 883-906.

5. Gower, D. J. & Sennikov, A. G. (1996) Endocranial casts of early archosaurian reptiles. Paläontologische Zeitschrift 70: 579-589. 

4. Gower, D. J. & Wilkinson, M. (1996) Is there any consensus on basal archosaur phylogeny?. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 263: 1399-1406. 

3. Storrs, G. W., Gower, D. J., & Large, N. F. (1996) The diapsid reptile Pachystropheus rhaeticus, a probable choristodere from the Rhaetian of Europe. Palaeontology 39: 323-349.

2. Gower D. J. (1996) The tarsus of erythrosuchid archosaurs (Reptilia), and implications for early diapsid phylogeny. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 116: 347-375. 

1. Storrs, G. W. & Gower, D. J. (1993) The earliest possible choristodere (Diapsida) and gaps in the fossil record of semi-aquatic reptiles. Journal of the Geological Society, London 150: 1103-1107.