Research Interests

George D.F. Wilson

My research program seeks to understand the historical pattern and process of organic diversity, especially within isopod crustaceans. "Slaters", "wood lice" or "gribbles" are common names of some isopods. These crustaceans are especially diverse, and are a common component of many ecosystems.

My work on the Isopoda includes basic taxonomy, population variation, species complexes, biogeography, and higher level systematic problems such as evolutionary morphology and macroevolution. Deep-sea projects conducted at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography introduced me to the incredibly diverse and morphologically fascinating suborder Asellota. The asellotes have been an important theme in my research career, leading to publications on their evolutionary biology, taxonomy and diversity. Broader questions, such as the evolution of the deep-sea fauna (Hessler & Wilson, 1983; Wilson & Hessler, 1987 ) and phylogenetic relationships of all isopods (Brusca & Wilson, 1991), have been natural outgrowths of this approach.

Research on the phreatoicidean isopods, Australian living fossils, increases our understanding of the big picture of isopod evolution, especially regarding the origins of the Australian fauna. Other collaborations include studies of the diversity of the deep sea, and of the deep history of the Arthropoda. The uniqueness of the Australian fauna and its potential endangerment by anthropogenic influences has led me to the conclusion that pragmatic approaches to systematics are also necessary. Therefore, my research includes monographic studies of Australian species and higher taxa, and detailed studies on especially diverse regions in Australia, like Kakadu and inventories of the marine fauna. These web pages provide more detail on the research projects being pursued in my laboratory at the Australian Museum.