Curator of Bioscience

Email: jason.maleny@dca.nm.gov

Dr. Jason Malaney is the Curator of Biosciences at the NM Museum of Natural History and Science and an and Associate Curator and Associate Research Professor at the Museum of Southwestern Biology at the University of New Mexico where he is part of the CUERVO Lab (Center for Understanding Evolutionary Relationships of Various Organisms). At the NMMNH&S he oversees the research, educational activities, and exhibits using specimens of six research collections (Amphibians and Reptiles, Birds, Fish, Insects, Invertebrates, and Mammals).

Malaney’s research interests and methods are broad. His lab uses morphological and molecular data (DNA) from museum specimens to uncover patterns of geographic variation and unravel the evolutionary history and responses to Pleistocene climate fluctuations. He is one of the world's leading experts on the evolution of jumping mice (genus Zapus) – a group that has diversified during the last 5 million years and some subspecies are listed by the USFWS (Zapus hudsonius preblei, Zapus luteus luteus). The NMMNH&S Bioscience Lab works across spatial and temporal scales from discovering new populations and lineages to macroevolutionary trends and comparative biogeography across species. Active projects include sky island biogeography and comparative phylogeography of Western North American mammals, phylogeography of Asian Mammals, conservation genetics of endangered species, diversification of jumping mice (genus Zapus), and host-parasite relationships in altered environments (STEPP-Net, an NSF-funded project).

Dr. Malaney and his field crew conducting wildlife surveys in high-elevation forests of North America.

Education

• Ph.D. in Biology - University of New Mexico
• M.S. in Biology – Eastern New Mexico University
• B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Management – Eastern New Mexico University

Appointments

• Associate Curator – Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico
• Associate Research Professor – Museum of Southwestern Biology, University of New Mexico
• Research Associate - University of Nevada, Reno
• Research Associate – Utah Museum of Natural History
• Research Associate – Denver Museum of Natural History

Research Interests

• Comparative phylogeography sky island biogeography of Western North American mammals
• Systematics and conservation genetics of imperiled species – especially jumping mice (Zapus)
• Phylogeography of Central Asian mammals
• Comparison of host-parasite relationships in altered landscapes
• Specimen-based biodiversity infrastructures

Selected Publications

Malaney, J.L., Dunnum, J.L., and Cook, J.A., 2022. Checklist of New Mexico Mammals. Late Cenozoic Vertebrates from the American Southwest: A tribute to Arthur H. Harris. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin, 88, pp. 361-369

Schlis‐Elias, M.C. and Malaney, J.L., 2022. Island biogeography predicts skull gigantism and shape variation in meadow voles Microtus pennsylvanicus through ecological release and allometry. Oikos, 2022(4), p.e08777.

Malaney, J.L. and Cook, J.A., 2018. A perfect storm for mammalogy: declining sample availability in a period of rapid environmental degradation. Journal of Mammalogy, 99(4), pp.773-788.

Malaney, J.L., Lackey, C.W., Beckmann, J.P. and Matocq, M.D., 2018. Natural rewilding of the Great Basin: Genetic consequences of recolonization by black bears (Ursus americanus). Diversity and Distributions, 24(2), pp.168-178.

Hope, A.G., Sandercock, B.K. and Malaney, J.L., 2018. Collection of scientific specimens: benefits for biodiversity sciences and limited impacts on communities of small mammals. BioScience, 68(1), pp.35-42.

Malaney, J.L., Demboski, J.R. and Cook, J.A., 2017. Integrative species delimitation of the widespread North American jumping mice (Zapodinae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 114, pp.137-152.

Hope, A.G., Malaney, J.L., Bell, K.C., Salazar-Miralles, F., Chavez, A.S., Barber, B.R. and Cook, J.A., 2016. Revision of widespread red squirrels (genus: Tamiasciurus) highlights the complexity of speciation within North American forests. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 100, pp.170-182.

Malaney, J.L., Feldman, C.R., Cox, M., Wolff, P., Wehausen, J.D. and Matocq, M.D., 2015. Translocated to the fringe: genetic and niche variation in bighorn sheep of the Great Basin and northern Mojave deserts. Diversity and Distributions, 21(9), pp.1063-1074.

Thomas, M.A., Roemer, G.W., Donlan, C.J., Dickson, B.G., Matocq, M. and Malaney, J., 2013. Ecology: Gene tweaking for conservation. Nature, 501(7468), pp.485-486.

Malaney, J.L. and Cook, J.A., 2013. Using biogeographical history to inform conservation: the case of Preble's meadow jumping mouse. Molecular Ecology, 22(24), pp.6000-6017.