Neal Woodman, Ph.D.
Neal Woodman is a Research Zoologist located at the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge (formerly Patuxent Wildlife Research Center), Laurel, Maryland.
Neal Woodman is a U.S. Geological Survey Research Zoologist and Curator of Mammals stationed with the Biological Survey Unit in the U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution. His research focuses on morphology, diversity, taxonomy, and evolutionary relationships of mammals, with a particular emphasis on the Soricidae (shrews) and Tupaiidae (tree shrews), although his portfolio also includes work with rodents, bats, proboscideans (elephants and their relatives), and North American, Neotropical, and Asian faunas.
Professional Experience
2001–present Research Zoologist. U.S. Geological Survey, Eastern Ecological Science Center at the Patuxent Research Refuge, Laurel, MD.
2001–2018 Curator of Mammals. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Survey Unit, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, National Museum of National History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC.
1997–2000 Assistant Professor. Department of Biological Sciences. East Stroudsburg University, East Stroudsburg, PA.
1995–1997 Assistant Professor. Biology Department, Southwestern College, Winfield, Kansas.
1995–1996 Field Resource. Organization for Tropical Studies, San José, Costa Rica.
1994–1995 Adjunct Instructor. Science Division, Johnson County Community College, Overland Park, KS.
1993–1994 Adjunct Instructor. Science Department, Longview Community College, Lee’s Summit, MO.
1992–1994 Research Associate. Natural History Museum, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. 1992 Department of Systematics and Ecology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence
M.Phil. 1986 Department of Systematics and Ecology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence
M.S. 1982 Department of Geological Sciences, The University of Iowa, Iowa City
B.A. 1980 Geology Department, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana
Affiliations and Memberships*
American Association for Zoological Nomenclature, 2004 – present
Recording Secretary, 2004 – 2013
American Quaternary Association, 1983 – present
American Society of Mammalogists (Life Member), 1987 – present
Associate Editor, Journal of Mammalogy, 2011–2015
Biological Society of Washington, 1995 – present
Councilor, 2004 – present
Auditing Committee – June 2004, August 2005
Publications Committee, 2005 – present
Membership Committee (Chair), 2011 – present
New Chaucer Society, 2010 – present
Pennsylvania Academy of Science (Life Member), 2000 – present
Senate of Scientists, Smithsonian Institution, 2001 – present
Councilor for Affiliated Agencies, 2004 – 2006
Secretary, Oct. 2006 – Sept. 2007
Society for the History of Natural History
Washington Biologist’s Field Club, 2009–present
Student Research Awards Committee Chair, 2011–2020
Finance Committee, 2014–present
Honors and Awards
2018 Smithsonian S.T.A.R. Award for an informal workshop teaching mammal preparation and field data collection
2017 Smithsonian Institution Peer Recognition Award for long-term mentorship of undergraduate scientific interns
2007 Smithsonian Institution Senate of Scientists Distinguished Service Award for service as Secretary of the Senate in 2006–2007
PATRONYMIC HONORS
Cryptotis woodmani Guevara, 2023PATRONYMIC HONORS
Gliricola woodmani Price and Timm, 1993
Abstracts and Presentations
2018. “Musarañas como momias.” Djehuty Excavation Site, Luxor, Egypt, 29 January.
2016. “Digging the Soricidae: convergence in locomotory adaptations among shrews.” East Stroudsburg University, Pennsylvania, 2 December.
2016. “Bullet-proof Fish and Brindled Stamiters: John James Audubon’s Contributions to Constantine Rafinesque’s ‘Zoological Discoveries’ in the American West.” Wild Lives Symposium, Princeton University Libraries, 16 October.
2006. “What makes a mammal?” Science Department, Penn State University-Berks, Reading, Pennsylvania, 24 March.
2005. “Opportunities with the Smithsonian Research Training Program for undergraduates.” Honors Program, Penn State University, Berks-Lehigh Valley, Reading, PA, 17 January.
2002. “Patterns of evolution in the Cryptotis mexicana-group of small-eared shrews.” George Washington University, Washington, D.C., 1 November.
2002. “Natural History of Costa Rica.” Penn State University, Berks-Lehigh Valley, Reading, PA, 22 March.
2000. “Systematics and biogeography of small-eared shrews of the New World genus Cryptotis.” U.S. National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., August.
1999. “Mammals of the Neotropical rain forests.” University of Aleppo and University of Damascus, Syria sponsored by US Information Agency, January.
1998. “Evolution and biogeography of shrews in Central and South America.” Shippensburg University, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, November.
1998. “Composition and structure of shrew communities in Mexico and Central and South America.” Euro-American Mammal Meeting, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Spain, July.
1996. “Structure of the mammalian communities in tropical, lowland rainforest of Amazonian Peru.” Southwest Missouri State University, Springfield, Missouri, September.
1994. "Structure of the mammal community in a lowland, tropical rainforest in the Amazon Basin of Peru.” Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey, April.
1993. "Mammals of the tropical rain forest.” Teacher’s workshop, University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Lawrence, Kansas, December.
1992. "Systematics and biogeography of the small-eared shrews, genus Cryptotis.” University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, October.
1992. "Biodiversity in a Neotropical lowland rain forest: the mammals of Cuzco Amazónico, Peru.” Denver Museum of Natural History, Denver, Colorado, August.
1992. "Biological perspectives on environmental issues in Central America.” Forum on Environmental Issues in Latin America, Lawrence, Kansas, March.
1991. “Costa Rica and its fauna, seen through the eyes of a KU naturalist.” Latin American Studies Merienda, Lawrence, Kansas, October.
Science and Products
A new species of small-eared shrew (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Cryptotis) from the Lacandona rain forest, Mexico
Can they dig it? Functional morphology and semifossoriality among small-eared shrews, genus Cryptotis (Mammalia, Soricidae)
Small mammals from the Chelemhá Cloud Forest Reserve, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
Island history affects faunal composition: the treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae) from the Mentawai and Batu Islands, Indonesia
The type localities of the mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817), and the Kansas white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus macrourus (Rafinesque, 1817), are not where we thought they were
Morphological distinctiveness of Javan Tupaia hypochrysa (Scandentia, Tupaiidae)
The identity of the enigmatic "Black Shrew" (Sorex niger Ord, 1815)
Using hand proportions to test taxonomic boundaries within the Tupaia glis species complex (Scandentia, Tupaiidae)
This shrew is a jumping mouse (Mammalia, Dipodidae): Sorex dichrurus Rafinesque 1833 is a synonym of Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann 1780)
Distributional records of shrews (Mammalia, Soricomorpha, Soricidae) from Northern Central America with the first record of Sorex from Honduras
Taxonomic status and relationships of Sorex obscurus parvidens Jackson, 1921, from California
Shrews, rats, and a polecat in "the pardoner’s tale"
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A new species of small-eared shrew (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Cryptotis) from the Lacandona rain forest, Mexico
The diversity and distribution of mammals in the American tropics remain incompletely known. We describe a new species of small-eared shrew (Soricidae, Cryptotis) from the Lacandona rain forest, Chiapas, southern Mexico. The new species is distinguished from other species of Cryptotis on the basis of a unique combination of pelage coloration, size, dental, cranial, postcranial, and external characAuthorsLázaro Guevara, Víctor Sánchez-Cordero, Livia León-Paniagua, Neal WoodmanCan they dig it? Functional morphology and semifossoriality among small-eared shrews, genus Cryptotis (Mammalia, Soricidae)
Small-eared shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae: Cryptotis), exhibit modifications of the forelimb skeleton that have been interpreted as adaptations for semifossoriality. Most species inhabit remote regions, however, and their locomotory and foraging behaviors remain mostly speculative. To better understand the morphological modifications in the absence of direct observations, we quantified variation inAuthorsNeal Woodman, Sarah A. GaffneySmall mammals from the Chelemhá Cloud Forest Reserve, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala
We surveyed the small mammals of remnant mixed hardwood-coniferous cloud forest at elevations ranging from 2,100–2,300 m in the Chelemhá Cloud Forest Reserve, Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. Removal-trapping using a combination of live traps, snap traps, and pitfall traps for 6 days in January 2007 resulted in 175 captures of 15 species of marsupials, shrews, and rodents. This diversity of small mammalsAuthorsJason O. Matson, Nicté Ordóñez-Garza, Neal Woodman, Walter Bulmer, Ralph P. Eckerlin, J. Delton HansonIsland history affects faunal composition: the treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia: Tupaiidae) from the Mentawai and Batu Islands, Indonesia
The Mentawai and Batu Island groups off the west coast of Sumatra have a complicated geological and biogeographical history. The Batu Islands have shared a connection with the Sumatran ‘mainland’ during periods of lowered sea level, whereas the Mentawai Islands, despite being a similar distance from Sumatra, have remained isolated from Sumatra, and probably from the Batu Islands as well. These conAuthorsEric J. Sargis, Neal Woodman, Natalie C. Morningstar, Aspen T. Reese, Link E. OlsonThe type localities of the mule deer, Odocoileus hemionus (Rafinesque, 1817), and the Kansas white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus macrourus (Rafinesque, 1817), are not where we thought they were
Among the iconic mammals of the North American West is the mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). This species and a western subspecies of the white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus macrourus) were two of seven mammals originally named and described as new species in 1817 by Constantine S. Rafinesque. Rafinesque never saw the animals that he named. Instead, he followed the then-acceptable practice ofAuthorsNeal WoodmanMorphological distinctiveness of Javan Tupaia hypochrysa (Scandentia, Tupaiidae)
The common treeshrew, Tupaia glis, represents a species complex with a complicated taxonomic history. It is distributed mostly south of the Isthmus of Kra on the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands. In our recent revision of a portion of this species complex, we did not fully assess the population from Java (T. “glis” hypochrysa) because of our limited sample. Herein, we revisit this taxon usiAuthorsEric J. Sargis, Neal Woodman, Natalie C. Morningstar, Aspen T. Reese, Link E. OlsonThe identity of the enigmatic "Black Shrew" (Sorex niger Ord, 1815)
The scientific name Sorex niger Ord, 1815 (Mammalia, Soricidae) was originally applied to a North American species that George Ord called the “Black Shrew.” The origin of the name “Black Shrew,” however, was obscure, and Samuel Rhoads subsequently wrote that the species represented by this name could not be determined. The names Sorex niger Ord and Black Shrew have since been mostly forgotten. TwoAuthorsNeal WoodmanUsing hand proportions to test taxonomic boundaries within the Tupaia glis species complex (Scandentia, Tupaiidae)
Treeshrews (order Scandentia) comprise 2 families of squirrel-sized terrestrial, arboreal, and scansorial mammals distributed throughout much of tropical South and Southeast Asia. The last comprehensive taxonomic revision of treeshrews was published in 1913, and a well-supported phylogeny clarifying relationships among all currently recognized extant species within the order has only recently beenAuthorsEric J. Sargos, Neal Woodman, Aspen T. Reese, Link E. OlsonThis shrew is a jumping mouse (Mammalia, Dipodidae): Sorex dichrurus Rafinesque 1833 is a synonym of Zapus hudsonius (Zimmermann 1780)
Constantine S. Rafinesque described Sorex dichrurus as a shrew in 1833, based on a specimen he found in a proprietary museum near Niagara Falls on the New York/Ontario border. The name subsequently has been ignored by the scientific community. By describing this specimen as a shrew and ascribing it to the genus Sorex, Rafinesque clearly indicated that his species should be considered a member of tAuthorsNeal WoodmanDistributional records of shrews (Mammalia, Soricomorpha, Soricidae) from Northern Central America with the first record of Sorex from Honduras
Short term surveys for small mammals in Guatemala and Honduras during 1992–2009 provided important new records for 12 taxa of shrews from 24 localities. These locality records expand the known geographic distributions for five species and for the genus Sorex Linnaeus, 1758: the geographic range of Cryptotis goodwini Jackson, 1933, now includes the Sierra de las Minas, Guatemala, and several isolatAuthorsNeal Woodman, John O. Matson, Timothy J. McCarthy, Ralph P. Eckerlin, Walter Bulmer, Nicte Ordonez-GarzaTaxonomic status and relationships of Sorex obscurus parvidens Jackson, 1921, from California
The San Bernardino shrew, Sorex obscurus parvidens Jackson, 1921, is a population inhabiting the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains of southern California. For the past 9 decades, this population has been considered either a subspecies of S. obscurus Merriam, 1895, S. vagrans Baird, 1857, or S. monticola Merriam, 1890; or an undifferentiated population of S. ornatus Merriam, 1895. Aside fromAuthorsNeal WoodmanShrews, rats, and a polecat in "the pardoner’s tale"
While historically existing animals and literary animal characters inform allegorical and metaphorical characterization in The Canterbury Tales, figurative usage does not erase recognition of the material animal. "The Pardoner's Tale," for one, challenges the terms of conventional animal metaphors by refocusing attention on common animals as common animals and common human creatures as something wAuthorsSandy Feinstein, Neal Woodman - News
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government