Evolutionary Genomics Group



Dr. Rauri Bowie Fields of interest My research centers on the use of molecular and morphological approaches to study population dynamics and evolution. Current research themes include: (1) the use of molecular markers, morphology and moult (in birds) to infer current and historical population processes at various spatial and temporal scales; (2) the effects of historical changes in habitat on current distributions and diversity of faunas, with particular reference to animals endemic to the high-altitude rainforests of eastern, central and southern Africa, and inselbergs of the arid Succulent Karoo; and (3) incorporating molecular and morphological data into conservation policy with the goal of developing methodologies that incorporate evolutionary processes into spatial development frameworks and conservation initiatives. My research is question driven as opposed to taxon driven, although I primarily focus on birds, insects, marine molluscs and inshore rockfish. At present I have ongoing research interests in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the DRC, Malawi, Namibia, Mozambique and South Africa, where much of my time is devoted to investigating the spatial and temporal connections among animal communities naturally isolated in forests on Africa's tallest mountains and among boulders on Karoo koppies.	Dr. Rauri Bowie in the Teleki Valley (4500m) on Mt. Kenya Evolutionary Genomics
Publications In press for 2006 Bowie , R.C.K. (2006). Book Review of ‘The speciation and biogeography of Birds' by I. Newton. Ostrich. 77: 113-114. Bowie , R.C.K. Fjeldså , J., Hackett, S.J., Bates, J.M. and Crowe, T.M. (2006). Coalescent models reveal the relative roles of ancestral polymorphism, vicariance and dispersal in shaping phylogeographical structure of an African montane forest robin. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 38: 171-188. Crowe, T.M., Bowie , R.C.K ., Bloomer, P., Mandiwana, T., Hedderson T., Randi, E., Pereira , S.L. and Wakeling. J. (in press) Phylogenetics and biogeography of, and character evolution in gamebirds (Aves: Galliformes): effects of character exclusion, partitioning and missing data. Cladistics. Feldheim, K.A., McFarlane, M.L. and Bowie , R.C.K. (in press). Isolation of highly polymorphic autosomal microsatellite loci and a sex-linked locus from sugarbirds. Molecular Ecology Notes. Fjeldså , J., Bowie R.C.K . and Kiure J. (in press) The Forest Batis, Batis mixta , is two species: description of a new, narrowly distributed Batis species in the Eastern Arc biodiversity hotspot. Journal of Ornithology. Fuchs, J., Fjeldså , J., Bowie R.C.K ., Voelker G. and Pasquet E. (2006). The African warbler genus Hyliota as a lost lineage in the Oscine songbird tree: molecular support for an African origin of the Passerida. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 39: 186-197. Kahindo, C., Bowie , R.C.K. and Bates, J.M. (in press) The relevance of data on genetic diversity for the conservation of Afro-montane regions. Biological Conservation. Voelker, G., Rohwer, S., Bowie , R.C.K. and Outlaw, D. (in press). Molecular systematics of a speciose, cosmopolitan songbird genus: Defining the limits of, and relationships among, the Turdus thrushes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 2005 Bowie , R.C.K ., Voelker, G., Fjeldså, J., Lens, L., Hackett, S.J. and Crowe, T.M. (2005). Systematics of the Olive Thrush Turdus olivaceus species complex with reference to the taxonomic status of the endangered Taita Thrush T. helleri . Journal of Avian Biology. 36: 391-404. Bowie , R.C.K. and Fjeldså, J. (2005). Genetic and morphological evidence for two species in the Udzungwa forest partridge Xenoperdix udzungwensis . Special Issue on the Eastern Arc Mts, Journal of East African Natural History. 94: 191-201. Bowie , R.C.K ., Oatley, T.B., Dean, W.R.J., Smith, N., Johnson, D.N., Vernon , C.J., Boix-Hinzen, C., Hockey, P.A.R, Simmons, R.E. and Spottiswoode, C.N. (2005). Malaconotidae. Pp. 688-721. In Hockey, P.A.R, Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds). Roberts birds of southern Africa VII edition. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town . ISBN 0-620-34053-3. Bowie , R.C.K. and Smith N. (2005). Zosteropidae. Pp. 821-824. In Hockey, P.A.R, Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds). Roberts birds of southern Africa VII edition. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town . ISBN 0-620-34053-3. Tree, A.J., Brown, M., Bowie , R.C.K . and Smith, N. (2005). Nectariniidae. Pp. 975-1001. In Hockey, P.A.R, Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds). Roberts birds of southern Africa VII edition. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town . ISBN 0-620-34053-3. Nuttall, R.J., Dean W.R.J., Mills, M.S.L., Allan, D.G., Bowie , R.C.K. , Cohen, C., Davies, G.B.P., Payne, R.B., Smith, N. and Vernon , C.J. (2005). Estrildidae. Pp. 1038-1069. In Hockey, P.A.R, Dean, W.R.J. and Ryan, P.G. (eds). Roberts birds of southern Africa VII edition. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town . ISBN 0-620-34053-3. 2004 Bowie , R.C.K. , Fjeldså, J., Hackett, S.J. and Crowe, T.M. (2004) Molecular evolution in space and though time: mtDNA phylogeography of the Olive Sunbird ( Nectarinia olivacea/obscura ) throughout continental Africa . Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution. 33: 56-76. Bowie , R.C.K ., Fjeldså , J, Hackett, S.J. and Crowe, T.M. (2004). Systematics and biogeography of the Double-Collared Sunbirds of the Eastern Arc Mountains, Tanzania. Auk. 121: 660-681. Bates, J.M., Bowie , R.C.K. , Willard, D.E., Voelker, G. and Kahindo, C. (2004). A need for continued collecting of avian voucher specimens in Africa : Why blood is not enough. Ostrich. 75: 187-191. Evans, B.S., Sweijd, N.A., Bowie , R.C.K ., Cook, P.A. and Elliott, N.G. (2004). Population genetic structure of the Perlemoen, Haliotis midae in South Africa : evidence of range expansion and founder events. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 270: 163-172. Fuchs, J, Bowie , R.C.K ., Fjeldså, J, and Pasquet, E. (2004). Phylogenetic relationships of the African bush-shrikes and helmet-shrikes (Passeriformes: Malaconotidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 33:428-439. Ryan, P.G., Wright, D., Oatley, G., Wakeling, J., Cohen, C. Nowell, T.L., Bowie , R.C.K., Ward, V. and Crowe, T.M. (2004). Systematics of Serinus canaries and the status of Cape and Yellow-crowned Canaries inferred from mtDNA and morphology. Ostrich. 75: 288-294. Walker , A.L., Bowie , R.C.K. , Ratcliffe, C.S. and Crowe, T.M. (2004). Fowl play: Identification and management of hybridisation between wild and domestic Helmeted Guineafowl ( Numida meleagris ) in South Africa . Ostrich. 75: 195-198. Bowie , R.C.K. and Frank, A. (2004). Highveld Grassland. In: Burgess, N., D'Amico, J., Underwood, E. and Dinerstein E. Terrestrial ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar : a conservation assessment. World Wildlife Fund US , CSIRO publishing. ISBN: 1559633646 Bowie , R.C.K. and Frank, A. (2004). Drakensberg montane grassland, woodland & forest. In: Burgess, N., D'Amico, J., Underwood, E. and Dinerstein E. Terrestrial ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar : a conservation assessment. World Wildlife Fund US , CSIRO publishing. ISBN: 1559633646 Bowie , R.C.K. and Frank, A. (2004). Drakensberg altimontane grassland and woodland. In: Burgess, N., D'Amico, J., Underwood, E. and Dinerstein E. Terrestrial ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar : a conservation assessment. World Wildlife Fund US , CSIRO publishing. ISBN: 1559633646 Blom, A. and Bowie , R.C.K . (2004). Albertine Rift montane forest. In: Burgess, N., D'Amico, J., Underwood, E. and Dinerstein E. Terrestrial ecoregions of Africa and Madagascar : a conservation assessment. World Wildlife Fund US , CSIRO publishing. ISBN: 1559633646 2003 Bowie, R.C.K., Bloomer, P., Clancey, P.A. and Crowe, T.M.. The Karoo Thrush (Turdus smithi Bonaparte 1850) a southern African endemic. Ostrich. 74: 1-7. Warren. B.H., Bermingham E., Bowie, R.C.K., Prys-Jones, R.P. and Thébaud C. (2003). Molecular phylogeography reveals island colonization history and diversification of western Indian Ocean Sunbirds (Nectarinia: Nectariniidae). Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution. 29: 67-85. Publications pre 2003 Popular Science Articles Bowie, R.C.K. (2003). Sunbirds, a model for studying African bird evolution. In The Field. Sept/Nov: 2-3. Bowie, R.C.K. and Hockey, P.A.R. (1999). Waters of death: the causes and consequences of red tides. African Environment and Wildlife. 7: 44-48.
Current collaboration Africa Prof. Tim Crowe FitzPatrick Institute UCT Prof. Mike Lawes Forest Biodiversity Programme Univ. of KwaZulu-Natal Dr. Mike Picker Dept. of Zoology UCT Dr. Kim Prochazka International Ocean Institute UWC Dr. Peter Ryan FitzPatrick Institute UCT Dr. Krystal Tolley Univ. of Stellenbosch Mr. George Amutete National Museums of Kenya Mr. Wouter Holleman Institute for Aquatic Science Rhodes Univ Mr. Charles Kahindo Makerere Univ. Uganda Mr. Potiphar Kaliba Museums of Malawi Australia Drs Les Christidis and Janette Norman Museum Victoria Melbourne	Europe Prof. Jon Fjeldså Zoological Museum Univ. of Copenhagen Denmark Prof. Bob Cheke Univ. of Greenwich UK Dr. Éric Pasquet Muséum national d'histoire naturelle Paris France Drs. Marc Herremans and Michel Louette Royal Museum for Central Africa Tervuren Belgium Dr. Luc Lens Univ. of Ghent Belgium Dr. Peter Galbusera, Univ. of Antwerp, Belgium USA Prof. Gary Voelker Univ. of Memphis Drs Shannon Hackett and John Bates Field Museum Chicago Mr. Bill Stanley Field Museum Chicago Mr. Ben Marks LSU Baton Rouge Louisiana

Contact Details Department of Botany & Zoology University of Stellenbosch Private Bag X1 Matieland 7602 South Africa TEL: +27 21 808 3234 FAX: +27 21 808 2405 EMAIL:bowie@sun.ac.za	Evolutionary Genomics Group