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Alexandra van der Geer

Searching for evidence of dwarf elephants

I am a palaeontologist, specialised in the evolution of mammals on islands worldwide. The inclusion of extant, endemic island species and introduced species in my research enables me to measure the effect of time. As a crucial extension, I analyse the impact of humans on island ecosystems since the Pleistocene.

Keywords

Island biogeography; island biodiversity; insularity; mammals; vertebrate palaeontology; extinctions; palaeoecology; taxonomy

A.A.E. (Alexandra) van der Geer

Researcher
Vertebrate evolution, development and ecology

alexandra.vandergeer@naturalis.nl

Personal website
LinkedIn

Tweets as @IslandEvolution

FB Evolution of Island Mammals

 

Research
interest

The evolution and extinction of insular mammals worldwide, past and present.

Body size evolution is perhaps the best known aspect of island mammals, with pony-sized elephants and gorilla-sized lemurs. Many exceptions to this 'island rule' exist, because many variables influence the direction and degree of size evolution. Crucial variables are competitors, predators and island geography. The extinction of island biodiversity is an ongoing problem on islands worldwide. Understanding the impact of humans is crucial to prevent further loss.

Dwarf elephants with their mainland ancestors
Crete

Current
topics

A selection of my research topics .

Island biodiversity and human impact

Island faunas differ from those on the mainland. Endemic species live here isolated from competing species and free from terrestrial predators. They often evolve unique and sometimes bizarre adaptations. When humans settle on the islands, this unique…
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Changing invaders

How introduced rats have changed during their colonization of Pacific islands. Humans have been transporting vertebrates to islands worldwide since prehistory, often with dramatic impact on native fauna. These introduced species appear to change very…
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Key
publications

  • van der Geer, A., Lyras G., de Vos, J. (2021) Evolution of Island Mammals: Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands. Oxford, Wiley-Blackwell
  • van der Geer A.A.E., Claessens L.P.A.M., Rijsdijk K.F., Lyras G.A. (2021) The changing face of the dodo (Aves: Columbidae: Raphus cucullatus): iconography of the Walghvogel of Mauritius. Historical Biology Early View. doi: 10.1080/08912963.2021.1940996
  • Louys J., Braje T.J., Chang C.-H., Cosgrove R., Fitzpatrick S.M., Fujita M., Hawkins S., Ingicco T., Kawamura A. MacPhee R.D.E., McDowell M.C., Meijer H.J.M., Piper P.J., Roberts P., Simmons A.H., van den Bergh G., van der Geer A., Kealy S., O’Connor S. (2021) No evidence for widespread island extinctions after Pleistocene hominin arrival. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 118(20), e2023005118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2023005118
  • Van der Geer, A.A.E., Lyras, G., MacPhee, R.D.E., Mitteroecker, P. (2018) From Jumbo to Dumbo: cranial shape changes in elephants and hippos during phyletic dwarfing. Evolutionary Biology 45 (3): 303-317. DOI: 10.1007/s11692-018-9451-1
  • Van der Geer, A.A.E. (2018) Uniformity in variety: antler morphology and evolution in a predator-free environment. Palaeontologia Electronica 21.1: 9A. DOI: 10.26879/834
  • Van der Geer, A.A.E., Lomolino, M., Lyras, G.A. (2018) On being the right size – do aliens follow the rules.Journal of Biogeography 45: 515-529. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.13159.
  • van der Geer A. Animals in Stone. Indian fauna sculptured through time. Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section 2 South Asia, 21. Leiden, Brill, 461 + lxv pp., 528 figs. + 49 pl. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789047443568

All publications on Google Scholar

Teaching
activities

MSc and BSc Leiden University:  coordinator MSc Introduction to Evolutionary Biology (Sept 2022, 2023); BSc Biodiversity Animals 'Vertebrates' (March 2022);  MSc Evolutionary Biology 'Island Evolution' (Sept 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023); MSc Evolutionary Biology 'Carnivore Evolution' (Sept 2022, 2023). Elsewhere: 'Evolution of the Horse' (Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University; 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016); 'Collection Management Vertebrates' (Athens University; 2006-2013).

PhD Students (ongoing): 

Pauline Basilia (Griffith University, Brisbane) "Beyond dwarfing: examining insular dwarfism of Stegodon fossil remains from Southeast Asia". External supervisor.

Anne-Jifke Haarsma (Radboud University, Nijmegen) "Habitat and diet segregation of pond bats". External advisor.

PhD Students (past):

Benjamin Jentgen (2022; Vrije Universiteit, Brussels) "Histological and remodelling patterns among neosauropods in insular environments". Examination committee.

Leila D'Souza (2019; Bristol University, UK) "An endemic radiation of deer in the Late Pleistocene of Malta". External examiner.

Matthew Scarborough (2018; University of Cape Town, South Africa) "Insular adaptations in the appendicular skeleton of Sicilian and Maltese dwarf elephants". External examiner.

MSc Students (current):

Demi Kuhne (Leiden University) "Ecomorphology of the Falkland Island Wolf"

Daniëlle Snijders (Leiden University) "Cranium and lower jaw development of Pond bat"

BSc Students (current):

Tessa Oberoi (Leiden University) "Cranium and lower jaw development of Pond bat"

Casper Braams and Laurenz Kilian (Leiden University) "Sexual dimorphism in roe deer skulls"

Jochem Noordzij (Leiden University) "Evolution and biogeography of island dwarf elephants"

MSc/BSc Students (2022)

Laura van Duijn (MSc 2022; Leiden) "Phylogeny of Lydekker’s deer of Pleistocene Java"; Tristan van Laar (MSc 2022; Leiden) "Body mass evolution in native island pigs"; Rebecca Davies (2022; Maastricht) "Scientific illustration of the Cretan dwarf deer".

Lisa van Eulem and Victor Huijer (BSc 2022; Leiden) "Evolution and biogeography of island deer"; Eline Hilbers (2022; Leiden) "Pachyostosis degree in an island deer"

 

Publications

2024

Books as author

Lomolino M.V., Geer A.A.E. van der 2024. The Marvels and Perils of Island Life.. first edition: 201 p. Kindle Direct Publishing. ISBN 13 979-8879215922.
https://a.co/d/hw4nr7v

Chapters in book

Books as editor

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

2023

Chapters in book

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Basilia P., Miszkiewicz J.J., Nganvongpanit K., Zaim J., Rizal Y., Aswan, Puspaningrum M., Trihascaryo A., Price G., Geer A.A.E. van der, Louys J. 2023. Bone histology in a fossil elephant (Elephas maximus) from Pulau Bangka, Indonesia.. Historical Biology 35 (8) : 12 p. Taylor and Francis. DOI https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2022.2092850
Rozzi R., Lomolino M.V., Geer A.A.E. van der, Silvestro D., Lyons S.K., Bover P., Alcover J.A., Benítez-López A., Tsai C.-H., Fujita M., Kubo M.O., Ochoa J., Scarborough M.E., Turvey S.T., Zizka A., Chase J.M. 2023. Dwarfism and gigantism drive human-mediated extinctions on islands.. Science 379 (6636) : 6 p. 1054-1059. American Association for the Advancement of Science (United States). DOI https://doi.org/10.1126/science.add8606
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add8606
Michielsen N.M., Goodman S.M., Soarimalala V., Geer A.A.E. van der, Dávalos L.M., Saville G.I., Upham N.S., Valente L. 2023. The macroevolutionary impact of recent and imminent extinctions of mammals in Madagascar.. Nature Communications 14 (14) Springer. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35215-3
Michielsen N.M., Goodman S.M., Soarimalala V., Geer A.A.E. van der, Dávalos L.M., Saville G.I., Upham N., Valente L. 2023. The macroevolutionary impact of recent and imminent mammal extinctions on Madagascar.. Nature Communications 14 (14) : 14. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35215-3
2022

Chapters in book

Lyras G.A., Athanassiou A., Geer A.A.E. van der 2022. The fossil record of insular endemic mammals from Greece.. In: Vlachos E. (ed.) Fossil Vertebrates of Greece 2: 41 p. 661-701. Springer. ISBN 978-3-030-68441-9. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68442-6
Geer A.A. van der. 2022. The Great Monkey King: carving of primates in Indian religious architecture.. In: Urbani B., Youlatos D., Antczak A.T. (eds.) Cambridge Studies in Biological and Evolutionary Anthropology. World Archeoprimatology: Interconnections of Humans and Nonhuman Primates in the Past.: 25 p. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781108487337.

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Groeve J. de, Kusumoto B., Koene E., Kissling W., Seijmonsbergen A., Hoeksema B., Yasuhara M., Norder S., Cahyarini S.Y., Geer A. van der, Meijer H.J.M., Kubota Y., Rijsdijk K. 2022. Global raster dataset on historic coastline positions and shelf sea extents since the Last Glacial Maximum.. Global Ecology and Biogeography 31 (11) : 10 p. 2162-2171. Wiley. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/GEB.13573
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/geb.13573
2021

Books as author

Chapters in book

Lyras G.A., Athanassiou A., Geer A.A.E. van der 2021. The fossil record of insular endemic mammals from Greece.. In: Vlachos, E. (eds.) Fossil Vertebrates of Greece 2: 40 p. 661-701. Springer Nature, Gland, Switzerland. ISBN 9783030684419. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68442-6

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Louys J., Braje T.J., Chang C.-H., Cosgrove R., Fitzpatrick S.M., Fujita M., Hawkins S., Ingicco T., Kawamura A. MacPhee R.D.E., McDowell M.C., Meijer H.J.M., Piper P.J., Roberts P., Simmons A.H., Bergh G. van den, Geer A. van der, Kealy S., O’Connor S. 2021. No evidence for widespread island extinctions after Pleistocene hominin arrival. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 118 (20) : 8 p. e2023005118. National Academy of Sciences of the USA. DOI https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023005118
https://www.pnas.org/content/118/20/e2023005118
2020

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.A.E. van der 2020. Size matters: micro-evolution in Polynesian rats highlights body size changes as initial stage in evolution. PeerJ 8 (9076) : 21 p. 1-21. DOI https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9076
2019

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

2018

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.A.E. van der, Lyras G.A., Mitteroecker P., MacPhee R.D.E. 2018. From Jumbo to Dumbo: cranial shape changes in elephants and hippos during phyletic dwarfing. Evolutionary Biology: 16 p. 1-15. Springer US. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-018-9451-1
Geer A.A.E. van der, Lyras G.A., Volmer R. 2018. Insular dwarfism in canids on Java (Indonesia) and its implication for the environment of Homo erectus during the Early and earliest Middle Pleistocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 507: 12 p. 168-179. Elsevier. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.07.009
Kouvari M., Geer A.A.E. van der 2018. Biogeography of extinction: the demise of insular mammals from the Late Pleistocene till today.. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 505: 10 p. 295-304. Elsevier. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2018.06.008
Geer, A.A.E. van der., Lomolino M.V., Lyras G. 2018. 'On being the right size' - Do aliens follow the rules? Journal of Biogeography 45 (3) : 515-529. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13159
2017

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Hoek Ostende L.W. van den, Geer A.A.E. van der, Wijngaarden C.L. 2017. Why are there no giants at the dwarves feet? Insular micromammals in the eastern Mediterranean. Quaternary International 445: 10 p. 269-278.
Geer, A.A.E. van der, Lomolino M.V., Lyras G.A. 2017. Islands before man: the species-area relationship during the late Pleistocene.. Journal of Biogeography 44: 12 p. 995-1006. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12857
Geer A.A.E. van der 2017. Reply to Mazza P, et al.’s “Observations on the postcranial anatomy of Hoplitomeryx (Mammalia, Ruminantia, Hoplitomerycidae) from the Miocene of the Apulia Platform (Italy)”, Palaeontographica A, 307 (1–6): 105–147 (2016). Palaeontographica Abteilung A: Palaeozoologie - Stratigraphie 310 (12) : 4 p. 1-4. DOI https://doi.org/10.1127/pala/2017/0074
Geer A.A.E. van der., Lomolino M.V., Lyras G.A. 2017. 'Island Life' before man: biogeography of palaeo-insular mammals. Journal of Biogeography 44 (5) : 995-1006. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12857
2016

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.A.E. van der, Bergh G. van den, Lyras G.A., Prasetyo U.W., Due R.A., Setiyabudi E., Drinia H. 2016. The effect of area and isolation on insular dwarf proboscideans. Journal of Biogeography 43: 11 p. 1656-1666. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12743
2015

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.A.E. van der, Anastasakis G., Lyras G.A 2015. If hippopotamuses cannot swim, how did they colonize islands: a reply to Mazza. Lethaia 48: 4 p. 147-150. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/let.12095
2014

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.A.E. van der 2014. Systematic revision of the family Hoplitomerycidae Leinders, 1984 (Artiodactyla: Cervoidea), with the description of a new genus and four new species. Zootaxa 3847: 34 p. 1-32. DOI https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3847.1.1
Geer A.A.E. van der, Lyras G.A., Hoek Ostende L.W. van den, Vos J. de, Drinia H. 2014. A dwarf elephant and a rock mouse on Naxos (Cyclades, Greece) with a revision of the palaeozoogeography of the Cycladic Islands during the Pleistocene. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 404: 12 p. 133-144. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1749-4877.12066
Geer A.A.E. van der, Lyras G.A., MacPhee R.D.E., Lomolino M., Drinia H. 2014. Mortality in a predator-free insular environment: the dwarf deer of Crete. American Museum Novitates (3807) : 1-26.
2013

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

2012

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Lomolino M.V., Sax D.F., Palombo M.R., Geer A.E.E. van der 2012. Of mice and mammoths: evaluations of causal explanations for body size evolution in insular mammals. Journal of Biogeography 39 (5) : 842-854. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02656.x
2011

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.E. van der, Lyras G.A., Geer S.B. van der 2011. Microcephaly in ancient Greece-the "Minoan" microcephalus of Zakros. CHILDS NERVOUS SYSTEM 27 (7) : 1035-1035. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-011-1465-2
2010

Books as author

Geer A.A.E. van der, Lyras G.A., Vos J. de, Dermitzakis M.D. 2010. Evolution of Island Mammals. Adaptation and Extinction of Placental Mammals on Islands.: 384 p. Wiley & Sons, Oxford. ISBN 13-978-1-4051-9009-1. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/9781444323986

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

2009

Books as author

Geer A. van der, Vos J. de, Dermitzakis M.D., Lyras G.A. 2009. Hoe dieren op eilanden evolueren. Majorca, Ibiza, Kreta, Sardinië, Sicilië, Japan, Madagaskar, Malta.. Wetenschappelijke Bibliotheek: 229 p. Veen Magazines, Utrecht. ISBN 978908571169-8.

Journals non-SCI, peer-reviewed

Lyras G.A., Dermitzakis M.D., Geer A.A.E. van der, Geer S.B. van der, Vos J. de 2009. The origin of Homo floresiensis and its relation to evolutionary processes under isolation. ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCE 117 (1) : 33-43. DOI https://doi.org/10.1537/ase.080411

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Hoek Ostende L.W. van den, Meijer H.J.M., Geer A.A.E van der 2009. A bridge too far, reply to “Processes of island colonization by Oligo-Miocene land mammals in the central Mediterranean: New data from Scontrone (Abruzzo, Central Italy) and Gargano (Apulia, Southern Italy)” by Mazza P. and Rustioni M. 2008. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267: 8 p. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2009.02.029
2008

Books as author

Geer A. van der 2008. Animals in Stone. Indian mammals sculptured through time.. Handbook of Oriental Studies, Section 2 South Asia. 1: 526 p. Brill, Leiden. ISBN 9789004168190.

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Geer A.A.E. van der, Dermitzakis M.D. 2008. Dental eruption sequence in the Pliocene papionin Paradolichopithecus arvernensis (Mammalia: Primates) from Greece. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 28 (4) : 1238-1244. DOI https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634-28.4.1238
2006

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Lyras G.A., Geer A.A.E. van der, Dermitzakis M.D., Vos J. de 2006. Cynotherium sardous, an insular canid (Mammalia : Carnivora) from the Pleistocene of Sardinia (Italy), and its origin. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26 (3) : 735-745.