Dr. Daniel L. Graf

Other Affiliations:

• Acting Director, Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Ecology, Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia
• Research Associate, Carnegie Museum of Natual History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Research Associate, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois

My primary research interests can best be summed up as:

The Evolution of Freshwater Mollusks, Especially the Unionoida.

I use macroevolutionary patterns such as spatial and temporal distributions coupled with phylogeny to test hypotheses of macroevolutionary process among freshwater mussels— that is, mollusks belonging to the order Unionoida. I have general interests in freshwater malacology, bivalve systematics, and the methodology of the phylogenetic systematics.

For the last few years, I have focused my attention on the freshwater mollusks of Africa. That work has not only included field trips various exotic localities on that continent but also museum work in mollusk collections across the United States and Europe (and Australia!).

Check out the MUSSEL Project Web Site to learn more about my malacological research, including recent publications & presentations, information about freshwater mussel biology, recent news and an online database of mussel taxonomy and specimen records.

Other Links of Interest:

• My current external funding.
• My publications.
• The MUSSEL Project Links Page.
• The Institute for Africa Pumzikio & Exploration.

In the Huron River, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In the Congo River.

Exploring Giza, Egypt.

Tomb of Sir Richard Francis Burton, London.

In the Williams River, New South Wales.

Collecting with Kevin Cummings,
Lake Bangweulu, Zambia.

Current External Funding:

• National Science Foundation, “Systematic Revision of the Etherioidea, the Freshwater Mussels (Mollusca: Unionoida) of the Gondwanan Continents.” Collaboration with Kevin Cummings, DEB-REVSYS-0316125.
• National Science Foundation, “Evolution in a Vortex: An Inventory of the Fishes and Mollusks of the Lower Congo River Rapids.” Collaboration with Melanie Stiassny and Robert Schelly, DEB-BSI-0542575.
• National Science Foundation, “Phylogeny on the half-shell — Assembling the Bivalve Tree of Life.” Senior Investigator with Gonzalo Giribet (Museum of Comparative Zoology), DEB-AToL-0732903.

Publications:

• Graf, D.L. & K.S. Cummings. 2007. Preliminary review of the freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) of northern Africa, with an emphasis on the Nile. Journal of the Egyptian German Society of Zoology 53D: 89-118. Click here to download a pdf.
• Graf, D.L. & K.S. Cummings. 2007. Review of the systematics and global diversity of freshwater mussel species (Bivalvia: Unionoida). Journal of Molluscan Studies 73: 291-314.
• Graf, D.L. 2007. Palearctic freshwater mussel (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) diversity and the Comparatory Method as a species concept. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 156: 71-88.
• Graf, D.L. & K.S. Cummings. 2006. Palaeoheterodont Diversity (Trigonioida + Unionoida): What we know and what we wish we knew about freshwater mussel evolution. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 148: 343-394.
• Graf, D.L. & K.S. Cummings. 2006. Freshwater mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoida) of Angola, with description of a new species, Mutela wistarmorrisi. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 155: 163-194.
• Graf, D.L. 2002. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of two problematic freshwater mussel genera (Unio and Gonidea) and a re-evaluation of the classification of Nearctic Unionidae (Bivalvia: Palaeoheterodonta: Unionoida). Journal of Molluscan Studies 68: 65-71.
• Graf, D.L. 2002. The historical biogeography and late glacial origin of the freshwater pearly mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) faunas of Lake Erie. Occasional Papers on Mollusks 6: 175-211.
• Graf, D.L. 2001. A Phylogenetic Perspective on the Evolution of the Unionoida (Mollusca Bivalvia Palaeoheterodonta): Using Pattern to Test Hypotheses of Macroevolutionary Process. Ph.D. Dissertation, Biology Department, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Click here to download chapters from my dissertation.
• Graf, D.L. 2001. The Cleansing of the Augean Stables, or a lexicon of the nominal species of the Pleuroceridae (Gastropoda: Prosobranchia) of Recent North America, north of Mexico. Walkerana 12: 1-124.
• Graf, D.L. & D. Ó Foighil. 2000. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of 28S rDNA supports a Gondwanan origin for Australasian Hyriidae (Mollusca: Bivalvia/ Unionoida). Vie Milieu 50: 245-254.
• Graf, D.L. & D. Ó Foighil. 2000. The evolution of brooding characters among the freshwater pearly mussels (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionoidea) of North America. Journal of Molluscan Studies 66: 157-170.
• Graf, D.L. 2000. The Etherioidea revisited: a phylogenetic analysis of hyriid relationships (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Paleoheterodonta: Unionoida). Occasional Papers of the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (729): 1-21.
• Ó Foighil, D. & D.L. Graf. 2000. Prodissoconch morphology of the relict marine paleoheterodont Neotrigonia margaritacea (Mollusca: Bivalvia) indicates a non-planktotrophic prejuvenile ontogeny. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 80: 173-174.
• Graf, D.L. 1998. Freshwater Pearly Mussels: Pigtoes and Ortmann's Law. American Conchologist 26(2): 20-21.
• Graf, D.L. 1997. Sympatric speciation of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoidea): a model. American Malacological Bulletin 14: 35-40.
• Graf, D.L. 1997. Morphology, Zoogeography, and Taxonomy of Fusconaia flava (Rafinesque, 1820) (Mollusca: Bivalvia: Unionidae) in the Upper Mississippi, Great Lakes, and Nelson River Basins. M.Sc. Thesis, Biology Department, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Graf, D.L. 1997. Northern redistribution of freshwater pearly mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoidea) during Wisconsin deglaciation in the southern Glacial Lake Agassiz region: a review. American Midland Naturalist 138: 37-47.
• Graf, D.L. 1997. The effect of breeding period on the biogeography of freshwater mussels (Bivalvia: Unionoidea) in the Minnesota Region of North America. Occasional Papers on Mollusks 5: 393-407.
• Graf, D.L. & J.C. Underhill. 1997. The western Lake Superior freshwater mussel (Bivalvia: Unionidae) community and its origin. Occasional Papers on Mollusks 5: 409-417.
• Graf, D.L. 1997. Distribution of unionoid (Bivalvia) faunas in Minnesota, USA. Nautilus 110: 45-54.

Last updated 7 January 2008.