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Dr. Neil Cumberlidge
Professor
Department of Biology
Northern Michigan University
Freshwater Crab Taxonomy, Systematics,
Phylogeny, Biogeography, and Conservation

Phone: (906) 227-2215

E-mail: ncumberl@nmu.edu
NMU Biology Department Home Page  |  Northern Michigan University Home Page
TEACHING INTERESTS

My teaching interests are in physiology, systematics, anatomy, and ecology.

Courses taught:

(G = graduate credit toward the MS can be earned in this course)
 
RESEARCH INTERESTS

1. The taxonomy and systematics of the African and Madagascan freshwater crabs.  This involves the identification of specimens, the description of new taxa, the construction of taxonomic keys, and the derivation of classifications based on the results of cladistic analysis.

2.  The role of freshwater crabs in the transmission of human lung fluke disease (African paragonimiasis) in West Africa, and in the transmission of river blindness (onchocerciasis) to humans in East Africa.  This research is aimed at (a) the identification of those species of freshwater crabs that serve as hosts or vectors of the parasites that cause these diseases, and (b) the development of control programs that can best limit the disease.

3.  Phylogenetic analyses of the freshwater crabs of the world.  This research aims to resolve questions concerning (a) the marine sister groups of the freshwater crabs, and (b) the origin and age of the freshwater crabs.  It also focuses on the proper interpretation of the morphological and biogeographical evidence that best explains the present day patterns of distribution of the freshwater crabs.

4.  Studies in the ecological physiology of decapod crustaceans.  Subject animals are selected according to geographical location (UK: marine crabs and crayfish; Africa: freshwater crabs; USA: crayfish).  The research questions involve comparative studies of aspects of the cardiac, respiratory and osmoregulatory physiology, and of the mechanisms of nitrogenous excretion of decapod crustaceans.

Student  Research Projects

Undergraduate students may participate in research projects under my supervision.  Recent examples include a taxonomic revision of the freshwater crabs of Tanzania, distribution patterns of the freshwater crabs of Madagascar, databasing freshwater crab biodiversity, a molecular phylogeny of the freshwater crabs of West Africa, the taxonomy of the freshwater crabs of Lake Tanganyika, a morphometric and cladistic analysis of the freshwater crabs of the Ruwenzori mountains in Uganda, the distribution and ecology of crayfish in Northern Michigan, a molecular phylogeny of sturgeon, and studies on the characterization of the preorbital gland secretion of African elephants.

CONSULTATION

I am willing to identify (without a consultancy fee!) specimens of freshwater crabs from anywhere in the world, especially Africa, Madagascar, and the Seychelles.  I ask that specimens sent to me be preserved in 70% alcohol (and not formalin) and that you indicate whether the specimens are to be returned.  My postal address is: Department of Biology, Northern Michigan University, 1401 Presque Isle Avenue, Marquette, Michigan  49855-5341, USA.

PUBLICATIONS

Cumberlidge, N.  1999.  The freshwater crabs of West Africa.  Family Potamonautidae.  Faune et Flore Tropicales 35, Institut de recherche pour le développement IRD (ex-ORSTOM), Paris, 1-382.  Monograph.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. v. Sternberg.  2003.  The freshwater crabs of Madagascar.  Chapter in: “Madagascan Natural History”.  University of Chicago Press. Ed. Steven Goodman and Jon Benstead,  pp 612-617.

Journal Articles

Cumberlidge, N. and Vannini, M.  2004. A new species of tree-hole living freshwater crab (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from coastal  East Africa.  Journal of Natural History 38: 681-693.

Cumberlidge, N., Reed, S. K.. and Boyko, C. B.  2004.  Distribution patterns of the Malagasy freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura). Journal of Natural History 38: 1133-1157. 

Reed, S. K. and Cumberlidge, N.  2004.  Notes on the taxonomy of Potamonautes obesus (A Milne-Edwards, 1868) and Potamonautes calcaratus (Gordon, 1929) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from eastern and southern Africa.  Zootaxa 418: 1-20.

Cumberlidge, N. and Sadie K. Reed.  2004.  Erimetopus vandenbrandeni (Balss, 1936) n. comb., with notes on the taxonomy of the genus Erimetopus Rathbun, 1894 (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Central Africa. Zootaxa 422: 1-27.

Cumberlidge, N. & D. Huguet.  2003.  Les Crustacés Décapodes du Nimba et sa région.  Memoires du Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris: 190: 211-229. 

Sternberg, R. v. and N. Cumberlidge.  2003.  Autapomorphies of the Endophragmal System in Trichodactylid Freshwater Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Eubrachyura).  Journal of Morphology 256: 23-28.

Cumberlidge, N., Clark, P. F. and Baillie, J., 2002,  A new species of freshwater crab (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Príncipe, Gulf of Guinea, Central Africa.  Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology), London, 68(1): 13-18.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. v. Sternberg.  2002.  A taxonomic revision of the freshwater crabs of Madagascar (Decapoda: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae). Zoosystema, 24(1): 41-79.

Cumberlidge, N., Boyko, C. B. and Harvey, A. W.  2002.  A new genus and species of freshwater crab (Decapoda, Crustacea, Potamoidea) from northern Madagascar, and a second new species associated with Pandanus leaf axils.  Journal of Natural History, 36(1): 65-77.

Cumberlidge, N. and W. Wranik.  2002.  A new genus and new species of freshwater crab (Potamoidea: Potamidae) from Socotra Island, Yemen.  Journal of Natural History, 36(1): 51- 64.

Sternberg, R. v. and N. Cumberlidge.  2001. Notes on the position of the true freshwater crabs within the Brachyrhynchan Eubrachyura (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura).  Hydrobiologica, 449(1/3): 21-39.

Corace, R. G., N. Cumberlidge, and R. Garms.  2001.  A new species of freshwater crab from Rukwanzi, East Africa.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 114(1): 178-187.

Sternberg, R. v.and N. Cumberlidge. 2001.  A structuralist perspective on the heterotreme-thoracotreme distinction in the             Eubrachyura de Saint-Laurent, 1980.  Crustaceana, 74(4): 321-338.

Cumberlidge, N. and C. B. Boyko.  2000.  Freshwater crabs (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from the rainforests of the Central African Republic.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 3(2): 406-419.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. Sachs.  2000.  The crab that lives in trees / La krabo, kiu vivas en arboj.  Internacia Scienca Revuo, 51(4): 12-32.

Sternberg, R. v., Cumberlidge, N. and G. Rodriguez.  1999.  On the marine sister groups of the freshwater crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 37: 19-38.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. v. Sternberg.  1999.  Phylogenetic relationships of the freshwater crabs of Lake Tanganyika.  Proceedings of the Fourth International Crustacean Congress, 1998:405-422.

Cumberlidge, N., Sternberg, R. v., Bills, I. R. & Martin, H. A.  1999.  A revision of the genus Platythelphusa A. Milne-Edwards, 1887 from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa (Decapoda: Potamoidea: Platythelphusidae).  Journal of Natural History, 33: 1487-1512.

Sternberg, R. v. and N. Cumberlidge.  1999.  A cladistic analysis of the genus Platythelphusa A. Milne-Edwards, 1887 from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa (Decapoda: Potamoidea: Platythelphusidae) with comments on the phylogenetic position of the group.  Journal of Natural History, 33: 493-511.

Sternberg, R. v. and N. Cumberlidge.  1998.  A preliminary analysis of the phylogenetic relationships within the Grapsidae MacLeay, 1838 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura).  Journal of Comparative Biology, 3(2): 115-136.

Cumberlidge, N.  1998.  The African and Madagascan freshwater crabs in the Zoologische Staatssammlung, Munich (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamoidea), Spixiana, 21(3): 193-214.

Cumberlidge, N.  1997.  The African and Madagascan freshwater crabs in the Museum of Natural History, Vienna (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Potamoidea).  Annalen des Naturhistorischen Museums in Wien, 99B: 571-589.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. Sachs, 1997.  Cu vi estas Homo sapiens au *Antropo regnotipa*?  Internacia Scienca Revuo, 48: 9-18.  Review of “A Guide to the New Biological Nomenclature” by Professor Wim de Smet.

Cumberlidge, N.  1996a.  On the Globonautinae Bott, 1969, fresh-water crabs from West Africa (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Gecarcinucidae).  Crustaceana, 69 (7): 809-820.

Cumberlidge, N.  1996b.  A taxonomic revision of fresh-water crabs (Potamoidea, Gecarcinucidae, Globonautinae) from the Upper Guinea Forest of West Africa.  Crustaceana, 69 (6): 681-695.

Ollivier, G., Boussinesq, M., Albaret, J. J., Cumberlidge, N., Chippaux, J. P., & Bassade-Dufour, C. 1995.- Étude épidémiologique sur Paragonimus sp. dans le sud Cameroun.  Bulletin de la Société de Pathologie exotique, 88(495):164-169.

Cumberlidge, N.  1995a.  Redescription of Sudanonautes floweri (de Man, 1901) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Nigeria and Central Africa.  Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology), London, Vol. 61(2):111-119.

Cumberlidge, N.  1995b.  Redescription of the Central African fresh-water crab Sudanonautes faradjensis (Rathbun, 1921) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae).  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 108(4): 629-636.

Cumberlidge, N.  1995c.  Redescription of the African fresh-water crab Sudanonautes africanus (A. Milne-Edwards, 1869) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae).  Journal of Crustacean Biology, Vol. 15(3):588-598.

Cumberlidge, N.  1995d.  Remarks on the taxonomy of Sudanonautes chavanesii (A. Milne-Edwards, 1886) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Central Africa.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, Vol. 108(2):238-246.

Cumberlidge, N.  1994a.  Identification of Sudanonautes aubryi (H. Milne-Edwards, 1853) (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from West and Central Africa.  Zeitschrift für Angewandte Zoologie, Vol. 80:225-241.

Cumberlidge, N.  1994b.  Louisea , a new genus of fresh-water crab (Brachyura, Potamoidea, Potamonautidae) Globonautes macropus edeaensis Bott, 1969 from Cameroon.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 107(1):122-131.

Cumberlidge, N.  1993a.  Redescription of Sudanonautes granulatus (Balss, 1929) (Potamoidea, Potamonautidae) from West Africa.  Journal of Crustacean Biology, 113 (4): 805-816.

Cumberlidge, N.  1993b.  Two new species of Potamonemus Cumberlidge and Clark, 1992 (Brachyura, Potamoidea, Potamonautidae) from the rain forests of West Africa.  Journal of Crustacean Biology, 13 (3): 571-584.

Cumberlidge, N.  1993c.  Further remarks on the identification of Sudanonautes orthostylis (Bott, 1955),with comparisons with other species from Nigeria and Cameroon.  Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, USA, 106 (3): 514-522.

Cumberlidge, N. and P. Clark.  1992.  A new genus and species of fresh-water crab from Cameroon, West Africa (Crustacea, Brachyura, Potamoidea, Potamonautidae).  Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Zoology), London, 58(2): 149-156.

Cumberlidge, N.  1991.  Sudanonautes kagoroensis, a new species of fresh-water crab (Decapoda: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae) from Nigeria.  Canadian Journal of Zoology, 69: 1938-1944.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1991a.  First record of the spiny river crab, Liberonautes chaperi (A. Milne-Edwards, 1887) as second intermediate host of Paragonimus uterobilateralis in Liberia.  Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology  (Liverpool, UK), 85: 471-472.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1991b.  Notes on the ecology of Homorus striatella (Rang, 1831), snail host of microcercous cercariae in Liberia, West Africa.  Zeitschrift für Angewandte Zoologie, 78: 45-53.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1991c.  Metacercarial load of fresh-water crabs Liberonautes latidactylus in an endemic paragonimiasis focus in Liberia, West Africa.  Zeitschrift für Angewandte Zoologie, 78: 161-165.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. Sachs.  1991.  Ecology, distribution, and growth in Globonautes macropus (Rathbun 1898), a tree-living fresh-water crab from the rain forests of Liberia (Parathelphusoidea, Gecarcinucidae).  Crustaceana,  61(1): 55-68.

Cumberlidge, N.  1991.  The respiratory system of Globonautes macropus (Rathbun 1898), a terrestrial fresh-water crab from Liberia (Parathelphusoidea, Gecarcinucidae).  Crustaceana, 61(1): 69-80.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1990a.  The dog as natural reservoir host for Paragonimus uterobilateralis in Liberia, West Africa.  Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 84: 101-102.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1990b.  Distribution of metacercariae in fresh-water crabs in relation to Paragonimus  infection of children in Liberia.  Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology,  Vol. 84(3): 277-280.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1990c.  The dwarf river crab Liberonautes latidactylus nanoides Cumberlidge & Sachs 1989 — a new second intermediate host of Paragonimus uterobilateralis in Liberia.  Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 41: 435-436.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. Sachs.  1989a.  A key to the crabs of Liberian freshwaters.  Zeitschrift für Angewandte Zoologie, 76: 221-229.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. Sachs.  1989b.  Three new subspecies of the West African fresh-water crab Liberonautes latidactylus (DeMan, 1903) from Liberia, with notes on their ecology.  Zeitschrift für Angewandte Zoologie, 76:425-439.

Sachs, R. and N. Cumberlidge.  1989.  Isolation of microcercous cercariae from snails caught in an endemic focus of Paragonimus uterobilateralis in Liberia, West Africa.  Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 40: 69-72.

Cumberlidge, N.  1989.  Redescription of Sudanonautes orthostylis (Bott, 1955), a fresh-water crab from Nigeria, Cameroon and Ghana (Decapoda, Potamonautidae), with notes on its ecology.  Crustaceana, 56(3): 230-245.

Cumberlidge, N.  1987.  Notes on the taxonomy of West African gecarcinucids of the genus Globonautes (Brachyura, Decapoda).  Canadian Journal of Zoology, 65: 2210-2215.

Cumberlidge, N.  1986.  Ventilation of the branchial chambers in the amphibious West African fresh-water crab Sudanonautes (Convexonautes) aubryi monodi  (Balss, 1929) (Brachyura, Potamonautidae).  Hydrobiologia, 134: 53-65.

Cumberlidge, N.  1985.  Redescription of Liberonautes chaperi  (A. Milne-Edwards, 1887) n. comb., a fresh-water crab from Ivory Coast (Brachyura, Potamonautidae).  Canadian Journal of Zoology, 63: 2704-2707.

Cumberlidge, N.  1985.  Potamonautes (Platypotamonautes) ecorssei (Marchand, 1902) (Decapoda, Potamonautidae) new to Ghana and northern Nigeria.  African Journal of Ecology, 23: 195-197.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. F. Uglow.  1978.  Heart and scaphognathite activity during the digging behaviour of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (L).  In: Proceedings of the XII European Symposium on Marine Biology.  Ed: D. L. McLusky: 23-30.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. F. Uglow.  1978.  Size, temperature & scaphognathite frequency- dependent variations of ventilation volumes in the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (L). Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 30: 85-93.

Cumberlidge, N. and R. F. Uglow.  1977.  Heart and scaphognathite activity of the shore crab, Carcinus maenas (L).  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 28: 87-107.