George D. F. (Buz) Wilson - Australian Museum

Staff profile:Dr George D. F. (Buz) Wilson

Position title:: Principal Research Scientist
Section:: Marine Research
Branch:: Research
Division:: Research & Collections
Phone:: +612 9320 6287
Email:: Contact George D. F. (Buz) Wilson using the form below

Profile

My specialties include marine biology, zoological systematics of isopod crustaceans (e.g. marine and freshwater “slaters”), for which I have authored 166 new species, 42 new genera and 4 new families (as of 2012) and biological oceanography. I am also interested in arthropod systematics, biogeography and quantitative biodiversity studies, especially in the deep-sea and more recently on marine macroalgal substrates.

My research at the Australian Museum deals with the systematics and phylogeny of isopods, especially suborders Asellota and Phreatoicidea, as well as of other crustaceans. I employ integrative systematic methods (e.g., light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and DNA sequence analysis), and include both fossil and living species in my research. Several recent publications continue my interest in quantitative biodiversity studies of both deep-sea and shallow marine faunas. My research includes monographic studies of Australian species and higher taxa, and detailed studies on especially diverse regions in Australia, like Kakadu.

Qualification

B.A. (Zoology) with distinction (Phi Beta Kappa), 1969: Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
M.Sc. (Biological Oceanography), 1972: University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA
Ph.D. (Marine Biology) 1985: University of California San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California, USA
Prior to joining the Australian Museum in 1991, I was Associate Research Scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California, where I had previously received my M.Sc. and Ph. D. Much of my work at SIO revolved around quantitative biodiversity and community structure research on animals that live on the deep-sea floor.

Awards

2006, The Carrick Award, Australian University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning: "For inspiring students’ learning and appreciation of systematics through a unique, integrated, research-driven program devised and delivered by researchers from three premier Australian research institutions"; received by J. Bruhl (University of New England), E. Brown (RGBS), G. Edgecombe (AM), P. Weston (Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney), G.D.F.Wilson (AM)

Featured Websites & Projects

Professional Memberships

Australian Marine Sciences Association
Australian Society for Limnology
Biological Society of Washington
The Crustacean Society
Society for Systematic Biology
Willi Hennig Society

Selected Research Projects

2008 Phylogeny of the Isopoda among the Peracarida. More
2005 Biodiversity of the Arafura Sea. More
2004 A species flock of Eophreatoicus from Kakadu National Park. More
2002 Biodiversity of algal substrates. More
2001 Species richness of the Isopoda of the Gulf of Mexico. More
1999 Systematics of freshwater isopods (Phreatoicidea). More
1985 Structure of deep-sea invertebrate assemblages, especially Isopoda. More
1970 The systematics and phylogeny of deep sea isopods (Asellota). More

Publications

2012 Wilson G. D. F., Osborn A. W., Forteath G. N. R. 2012. Persistence of Phreatoicidae (Crustacea, Isopoda) in Tasmania's Lake Pedder, with a description of two new species of Colubotelson Nicholls, 1944. Zootaxa (submitted).
2012 Park T.-Y. Wilson G. D. F., Lee D.-C., Choi, D. K. 2012. Occurrence of the isopod Archaeoniscus coreaensis n.sp. from the Lower Cretaceous Jinju Formation, Korea. Journal of Paleontology (submitted).
2012 Riehl T., Wilson G. D. F., Hessler R. R. New Macrostylidae Hansen, 1916 (Crustacea: Isopoda) from the Gay Head–Bermuda Transect with special consideration of sexual dimorphism. Zootaxa (submitted).
2011 Wilson, G. D. F., Paterson, J., Kear, B. P. Fossil isopods associated with a fish skeleton from the Lower Cretaceous of Queensland, Australia – direct evidence of a scavenging lifestyle in Mesozoic Cymothoida. Palaeontology. 54(5): 1053–1068. Abstract
2011 Wilson G. D. F., Sims C., Grutter A. S., 2011.Toward a taxonomy of the Gnathiidae (Isopoda) using juveniles: the external anatomy of Gnathia aureamaculosa zuphea stages using scanning electron microscopy. Journal of Crustacean Biology 31(3): 509-522. Abstract
2011 Wilson, G. D. F., Ranga Reddy, Y. 2011. Andhracoides shabuddin gen. nov., sp. nov., a new phreatoicidean isopod (Crustacea, Hypsimetopidae) from hypogean aquatic habitats in Andhra Pradesh, India Zootaxa. 2869. 37–53. (http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2011/2869.html). ISSN 1175-5326 Abstract
2010 Wei, C.-L., Rowe, G. T. Hubbard, G. F., Scheltema, A. H.,Petrescu, I., Wilson, G.D.F., Foster, J. M.,Wicksten, M. K., Chen, M., Davenport, R., Soliman, Y., Wang Y. 2010. Bathymetric zonation of deep-sea macrofauna in relation to export of surface phytoplankton production Marine Ecology Progress Series. 399. 1-14. (http://www.int-res.com/abstracts/meps/v399/feature/). ISSN 0171-8630 10.3354/meps08388 Abstract
2010 Doti, B. L. and Wilson, G. D. F. 2010. The genera Carpias Richardson, Ianiropsis Sars and Janaira Moreira & Pires (Isopoda: Asellota: Janiridae) from Australia, with description of three new species Zootaxa. 2625. 1-39. (http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/list/2010/2625.html). ISSN 1175-5326 Abstract
2010 Fu, Wan-Lu, Wilson, G.D.F., Jiang, Da-Yong, Sun, Yuan-Lin, Hao, Wei-Cheng, Sun, Zuo-Yu. 2010. A New Species of Protamphisopus Nicholls (Crustacea, Isopoda, Phreatoicidea) from Middle Triassic Luoping Fauna of Yunnan Province, China Journal of Paleontology. 84. (5): 1003-1013. (http://jpaleontol.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/84/5/1003). 10.1666/10-042.1 Abstract
2009 Schotte, M., Markham, J. C. & Wilson, G. D. F.. 2009. Isopoda (Crustacea) of the Gulf of Mexico D. L. Felder & D. K. Camp. Jen Cork (ed). Jen Cork (ed). pp 973-986 In Gulf of Mexico - Its Origins, Waters, and Biota: Biodiversity. Texas A&M University Press, College Station, Texas.
2009 Wilson G. D. F., Humphrey C. L., Colgan D. J., Gray K. A. and Johnson R. N. 2009. Monsoon-influenced speciation patterns in a species flock of Eophreatoicus Nicholls (Isopoda; Crustacea) Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 51. 349-364. Abstract
2009 Wilson, G. D. F. 2009. The phylogenetic position of the Isopoda in the Peracarida (Crustacea: Malacostraca) Arthropod Systematics & Phylogeny. 67. 159-198. Abstract
2008 Wilson, G. D. F. 2008. Gondwanan groundwater: subterranean connections of Australian phreatoicidean isopods (Crustacea) to India and New Zealand Invertebrate Systematics. 22. 301-310. Abstract
2008 Wilson, G. D. F. 2008. Global diversity of Isopod crustaceans (Crustacea; Isopoda) in freshwater E. V. Balian, C. Lévêque, H. Segers & K. Martens (ed). pp 231-240 In Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment. Springer, Netherlands.
2008 Wilson, G. D. F. 2008. A review of taxonomic concepts in the Nannoniscidae (Isopoda, Asellota), with a key to the genera and a description of Nannoniscus oblongus Sars Zootaxa. 1680. 1-24. Abstract
2008 Wilson, G. D. F. 2008. Local and regional species diversity of benthic Isopoda (Crustacea) in the deep Gulf of Mexico Deep Sea Research II. 55. 2634-2649. Abstract