Collections & Research Staff
Robert Murphy
Senior Curator
Herpetology
B.A., Pasadena College, California, 1970
M.A., San Francisco State University, California, 1976
Ph.D., Biology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 1982
Bob Murphy is Senior Curator of Herpetology in the Department of Natural History at the ROM, and Professor of Zoology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Toronto.
Bob joined the ROM in 1984 after postdoctoral studies at UCLA Medical School, where his research focused on flow cytometry and the diagnosis of forms of cancer, as well as the conservation genetics of fishes. His interests concentrate on the development of molecular technologies for documenting genetic diversity, conservation genetics, and the genealogical relationships of species.
He has collected amphibians and reptiles in diverse places such as Australia, Mexico, Russia, The Republic of Georgia, Armenia, China, and Vietnam, building up the world's largest collection of amphibian and reptilian tissue samples for genetic research. "Dr. Bob" initiated the ROM’s involvement and commitment to working on the biodiversity crisis in Vietnam, which has resulted in significant national and international exposure for the ROM, Ontario and Canada alike, including both printed and audio-visual media features.
Bob is the ROM’s most cited life scientist as listed in Science Citation Index. He is committed to the ROM’s display of living organisms discovered by ROM researchers, and to their conservation through research, education and captive propagation.
Recent Publications
| In press | Murphy, R.W., K.H. Berry, T. Edwards, and A.M. McLuckie. "A genetic assessment of the recovery units for the Mojave population of the desert tortoise, Gopherus agassizii." Chelonian Conservation and Biology. |
| In press | Lindell, J., F. R. Méndez-de la Cruz and R.W. Murphy. "Deep biogeographical history and cytonuclear discordance in the black-tailed Brush lizard (Urosaurus nigricaudus) of Baja California." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. |
| In press | Lindell, J. and R.W. Murphy. "Simple identification of mitochondrial lineages in contact zones based on lineage-selective primers." Molecular Ecology Notes. |
| In press | Zanatta, D.T., S.J. Fraley, and R.W. Murphy. "Population structure and mantle display polymorphisms in the wavy-rayed lampmussel, Lampsilis fasciola (Bivalvia: Unionidae)." Canadian Journal of Zoology. |
| In press | Sha, Z.-l., C.-d. Zhu, R.W. Murphy, J. La Salle, and D.-w. Huang. "Mitochondrial phylogeography of a leafminer parasitoid, Diglyphus isaea (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae), in China." Biological Control. |
| In press | Zanatta, D.T. and R.W. Murphy. "Range-wide population genetic analysis of the endangered northern riffleshell mussel, Ethioblasma torulosa rangiana (Bivalvia: Unionidae)." Conservation Genetics. |
| In press | Zanatta, D.T. and R.W. Murphy. "The zoogeographic and management implications of population structure in the imperiled snuffbox mussel, Epioblasma triquetra (Bivalvia: Unionidae)." Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. |
| 2007 | Xiao, J.-h., W. Xin, Y.-j. Liu, R.W. Murphy, and D.-w. Huang. "Generation of linear expression constructs by one-step PCR with Vaccinia DNA Topoisomerase I." Molecular Biotechnology, 35: 15-22. |
A list of additional publications can be found on Bob's University of Toronto Faculty page (see link below).
Research Projects
Genomics of Desert Tortoises
Genogeographic Analysis of Baja California Lizards
Genogeographic Analysis of Southeast Asian Amphibians and Reptiles
ROM Images
Reptiles and Amphibians
Other Links
University of Toronto Faculty Page
Desert Tortoise Council
Contact Information
Royal Ontario Museum
Department of Natural History
100 Queen's Park
Toronto, ON
M5S 2C6
Tel: 416.586.8099
Fax: 416.586.5553
E-mail: Bob Murphy
Bob Murphy with ROM denizen, "Zip" the pine snake.
