Guy Musser
Encyclopedia
Guy Graham Musser is an American zoologist. His main research field is the subfamily Murinae
, in which he has described many new species.
Musser was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
. He attended elementary and secondary public schools until 1955 and in 1967 obtained a PhD at the University of Michigan
with a thesis about the taxonomy of the Mexican Gray Squirrel
(Sciurus aureogaster). In 1966 he joined the American Museum of Natural History
where he became curator
of mammals. Since his retirement in 2002 he is curator emeritus.
In the 1960s and 1970s he published numerous articles on squirrel
s, Neotominae
and Murinae
. In the 1970s he conducted a three year expedition to Sulawesi
where he discovered several mice and rat species which were new to science. The results of this expedition are still not fully published.
In the early 1980s he published some of his most important works including Notes on systematics of Indo-Malayan murid rodents, and descriptions of new genera and species from Ceylon, Sulawesi, and the Philippines (1981), The giant rat of Flores and its relatives east of Borneo and Bali (1981), Crunomys and the small-bodied shrew rats native to the Philippine Islands and Sulawesi (Celebes) (1982) and Malaysian murids and the giant rat of Sumatra (1983, together with Cameron Newcomb). These works led to a change within the taxonomy of the Asian Murinae
and to the splitting of the genus Rattus into several new genera.
Later he published many articles on various Asian and Australasian Murinae, and also some articles about Sigmodontinae
, a subfamily of South American rodents.
Musser was among the authors of the publication Mammal Species of the World
(1993 and 2005) where he co-wrote the section about the order Rodent
ia in collaboration with Michael D. Carlton. He also frequently contributed to the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
. Guy Musser is married to Mary Ellen Holden, a zoologist herself and directress of the Upper Elementary in the Trinity Montessori Christian School in Charleston, South Carolina
. They have three children and live on James Island (South Carolina)
.
Guy Musser received the Clinton Hart Merriam Award of the American Society of Mammalogists
in 1992.
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
, in which he has described many new species.
Musser was born in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. He attended elementary and secondary public schools until 1955 and in 1967 obtained a PhD at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
with a thesis about the taxonomy of the Mexican Gray Squirrel
Mexican Gray Squirrel
Mexican gray squirrel is a tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus endemic to Guatemala and in eastern and southern Mexico, and is an introduced species in the Florida Keys....
(Sciurus aureogaster). In 1966 he joined the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
where he became curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of mammals. Since his retirement in 2002 he is curator emeritus.
In the 1960s and 1970s he published numerous articles on squirrel
Squirrel
Squirrels belong to a large family of small or medium-sized rodents called the Sciuridae. The family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels, chipmunks, marmots , flying squirrels, and prairie dogs. Squirrels are indigenous to the Americas, Eurasia, and Africa and have been introduced to Australia...
s, Neotominae
Neotominae
Neotominae is a subfamily of the family Cricetidae. It consists of four tribes, 16 genera, and many species of New World rats and mice, predominantly found in North America. Among them are the well-known deer mice, white-footed mice, packrats, and grasshopper mice.Neotomines are related to the...
and Murinae
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
. In the 1970s he conducted a three year expedition to Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
where he discovered several mice and rat species which were new to science. The results of this expedition are still not fully published.
In the early 1980s he published some of his most important works including Notes on systematics of Indo-Malayan murid rodents, and descriptions of new genera and species from Ceylon, Sulawesi, and the Philippines (1981), The giant rat of Flores and its relatives east of Borneo and Bali (1981), Crunomys and the small-bodied shrew rats native to the Philippine Islands and Sulawesi (Celebes) (1982) and Malaysian murids and the giant rat of Sumatra (1983, together with Cameron Newcomb). These works led to a change within the taxonomy of the Asian Murinae
Murinae
The Old World rats and mice, part of the subfamily Murinae in the family Muridae, comprise at least 519 species. This subfamily is larger than all mammal families except the Cricetidae and Muridae, and is larger than all mammal orders except the bats and the remainder of the...
and to the splitting of the genus Rattus into several new genera.
Later he published many articles on various Asian and Australasian Murinae, and also some articles about Sigmodontinae
Sigmodontinae
The subfamily Sigmodontinae is one of the most diverse groups of mammals. It includes New World rats and mice, with at least 376 species. Many authorities include the Neotominae and Tylomyinae as part of a larger definition of Sigmodontinae. When those genera are included, the species count...
, a subfamily of South American rodents.
Musser was among the authors of the publication Mammal Species of the World
Mammal Species of the World
Mammal Species of the World, now in its 3rd edition, is a standard reference work in zoology giving descriptions and bibliographic data for the known species of mammals.An updated Third Edition of Mammal Species of the World was published late in 2005:...
(1993 and 2005) where he co-wrote the section about the order Rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
ia in collaboration with Michael D. Carlton. He also frequently contributed to the Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History
The Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the fields of zoology, paleontology, and geology...
. Guy Musser is married to Mary Ellen Holden, a zoologist herself and directress of the Upper Elementary in the Trinity Montessori Christian School in Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
. They have three children and live on James Island (South Carolina)
James Island (South Carolina)
James Island is one of South Carolina's most urban Sea Islands. The island is separated from peninsular downtown Charleston by the Ashley River, from the mainland by Wappoo Creek and the Wappoo Cut, and from Johns Island by the Stono River...
.
Guy Musser received the Clinton Hart Merriam Award of the American Society of Mammalogists
American Society of Mammalogists
The American Society of Mammalogists was founded in 1919. Its primary purpose is to encourage the study of mammals and professions studying mammals. There are over 4,500 members of this society, and they are primarily professional scientists who emphasize the importance of public policy and...
in 1992.
Works (selected)
- 1968: A systematic study of the Mexican and Guatemalan gray squirrel: Sciurus aureogaster F. Cuvier (Rodentia: Sciuridae)
- 1981: The giant rat of Flores and its relatives east of Borneo and Bali
- 1982: Crunomys and the small-bodied shrew rats native to the Philippine Islands
- 1983: Malaysian murids and the giant rat of Sumatra
- 1992: Philippine rodents: definitions of Tarsomys and Limnomys plus a preliminary assessment of phylogenetic patterns among native Philippine murines (Murinae, Muridae)
- 1993/2005: Order Rodentia In: Don E. Wilson & DeAnn M. Reeder (eds): Mammal Species of the World (w/ Michael D. Carlton)
- 1998: Systematic studies of oryzomyine rodents (Muridae, Sigmodontinae): diagnoses and distributions of species formerly assigned to Oryzomys "capito"