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Clifford W. Cunningham

Professor of Biology
Biology
Box 90338, Biology Department, Durham, NC 27708-0338
371C Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Biology · 2010 - Present Biology, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences

Recent Publications


Gene flow between Atlantic and Pacific Ocean basins in three lineages of deep-sea clams (Bivalvia: Vesicomyidae: Pliocardiinae) and subsequent limited gene flow within the Atlantic

Journal Article Deep-Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography · March 1, 2017 Pliocardiin (vesicomyid) clams rely on microbial symbionts for nutrition and are obligate inhabitants of deep-sea chemosynthetic ecosystems. Unlike many other invertebrate hosts of chemosynthetic microbes, pliocardiin clams are found in every ocean in a va ... Full text Cite

Evolution of life cycle, colony morphology, and host specificity in the family Hydractiniidae (Hydrozoa, Cnidaria).

Journal Article Evolution; international journal of organic evolution · December 2012 Biased transitions are common throughout the tree of life. The class hydrozoa is no exception, having lost the feeding medusa stage at least 70 times. The family hydractiniidae includes one lineage with pelagic medusae (Podocoryna) and several without (e.g ... Full text Cite

Historical effects on beta diversity and community assembly in Amazonian trees.

Journal Article Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · May 2012 We present a unique perspective on the role of historical processes in community assembly by synthesizing analyses of species turnover among communities with environmental data and independent, population genetic-derived estimates of among-community disper ... Full text Cite
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Recent Grants


Genetics Training Grant

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1979 - 2020

Collaborative Research: Assembling the Tree of Life-An Integrative Approach to Investigating Cnidarian Phylogeny

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2005 - 2010

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Education, Training & Certifications


Yale University · 1991 Ph.D.
Yale University · 1983 B.S.