John Demboski, PhD

Curator of Vertebrate Zoology
PhD, 1999, University of Alaska Fairbanks 303.370.6443
john.demboski@dmns.org

Dr. Demboski is the curator of vertebrate zoology in the Department of Zoology. He received his B.S. from Purdue University in 1987 and his doctorate from the University of Alaska Fairbanks in 1999. Dr. Demboski also conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Idaho and Louisiana State University. Before joining the Museum in August 2006, Dr. Demboski was an assistant professor at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (2002–2006).

Dr. Demboski’s area of research is mammalian systematics, phylogeography, and conservation genetics. His research program is specimen-based and heavily dependent on fieldwork with a focus on montane areas of the western United States. Projects to date have investigated evolutionary relationships of shrews, chipmunks, voles, and hares. Dr. Demboski’s fieldwork has taken him to most states in the western United States including Alaska, western Canada, Mexico, Far East Russia, the Philippines, and Paraguay.

• Dr. Demboski's Curriculum Vitae (PDF | 94KB)

Current Projects

• Systematics and phylogeography of western North America Tamias (chipmunks)

Recent Publications

Good JM, S Hird, N Reid, JR Demboski, SJ Steppan, TR Martin-Nims, and J Sullivan (2008) Ancient hybridization and mitochondrial capture between two species of chipmunks (PDF | 449KB). Molecular Ecology, 17(5): 1313-1327.

Carstens, BC, SJ Brunsfeld, JR Demboski, JA Good, and JM Sullivan (2005) Investigating the evolutionary history of the Pacific Northwest mesic forest ecosystem: Hypothesis testing within a comparative phylogeographic framework (PDF | 2.4MB). Evolution, 59(8):1639–1652.

Hafner, MS, TA Spradling, JE Light, DJ Hafner, and JR Demboski (2004) Systematic revision of pocket gophers of the Cratogeomys gymnurus species group (PDF | 256KB). Journal of Mammalogy, 85(6):1170–1183.

Waltari, E., JR Demboski, DA Klein, and JA Cook (2004) A molecular perspective on the historical biogeography of the northern high latitudes (PDF | 317KB). Journal of Mammalogy. 85(4):591–600.

Good JM, JR Demboski, D Nagorsen, and JM Sullivan (2003) Phylogeography and introgressive hybridization: chipmunks (genus Tamias) in the northern Rocky Mountains (PDF | 1.4MB). Evolution, 57(8):1900–1916.

Demboski, JR and JM Sullivan (2003) Extensive mtDNA variation within the yellow-pine chipmunk, Tamias amoenus (Rodentia: Sciuridae), and phylogeographic inferences for northwest North America (PDF | 695KB). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 26(3):389–408.