Gavin Hanke
Curator, Vertebrate Zoology
Tel: 250-952-0479,
Fax: 250-387-0534
E-mail: ghanke@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca
Mailing Address: 675 Belleville Street
Victoria, BC, Canada
V8W 9W2
Research Interests
Gavin studies the systematics of fishes, both extant (living) and extinct, is interested in fish, amphibian and reptile biogeography, and also exotic species introductions in Canada.
Much of his work published to date concerns fossil fishes (acanthodians and early shark-like fishes) from the Lower Devonian of northwestern Canada. These fishes, roughly 400 million years old, and new discoveries of similar aged spiny sharks in eastern Canada have forced a re-evaluation of the anatomy of the earliest shark-like fishes, and also raise questions on previous notions of paired fin structure, development, and evolution.
Gavin also is part of a large scale project to re-evaluate the dace (Rhinichthys) species in the Columbia River basin and the lower mainland of British Columbia. The Umatilla Dace (Rhinichthys umatilla) is considered to be a species but shows significant variation depending on location, and the relative abundance of Leopard Dace (R. falcatus) and Speckled Dace (R. osculus). Presently, Umatilla Dace are being collected within each of the major tributaries of the Columbia River system in Canada, for genetic and anatomical comparisons with the putative parental species, to determine 1) whether the Umatilla Dace can even be classified as a species if the hybrid (Umatilla) originated from multiple locations, and 2) whether there is evidence of interbreeding with the parental species as the regional anatomical variation suggests. Similar work also is in preparation for the undescribed Nooksack Dace (R. sp.). Skeletal structure of specimens collected in 2004 will be compared that of Longnose Dace (R. cataractae) from the Fraser and Columbia River systems, to see whether the Nooksack and Longnose Dace are distinct as genetic data suggest.
Previous work from his Master of Science degree detailed numerous northward range extensions of warm water fishes and one amphibian (the Mudpuppy, Necturus maculosus) in the Hudson Bay Drainage in Manitoba. In 2005, Gavin collected British Columbia's first specimens of the Yellow Bullhead Catfish (Ameiurus natalis) and the Yellowbelly Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta). The turtle originated from the pet trade, and the catfish probably was a contaminant in a shipment of stocked largemouth bass. Unfortunately, the mild climate of the southern portion of this province is hospitable to many exotic animals (and plants), and there are many other routes by which exotic organisms arrive in this province. Gavin works with staff in the Ministry of Environment to collect and monitor exotic vertebrates in BC with a special interest in the role of the pet trade, angling industry, and importation of live food fishes as a source of exotic/invasive animals.
Professional Associations
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, since 01/1992
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, since 01/1995