![David Stanton PhD, BSc (Hons)](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/8117?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr David Stanton
(he/him)
PhD, BSc (Hons)
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for David Stanton
Lecturer
Organisms And Environment
Overview
I am an evolutionary geneticist interested in understanding how natural and anthropogenic processes are involved in biodiversity change. I believe that to do this we first need an understanding of historic biodiversity.
My research investigates this past diversity in wild animal populations, using historic and ancient DNA, and compares it to those alive today. The ultimate aim is to use these comparisons to improve our predictions of how present-day biodiversity is likely to change into the future.
I have worked on a large range of different taxa and study systems, with a recent focus on extinct carnivores such cave lions, Homotherium, the Falkland Islands wolf, and ancient wolf populations from Eurasia.
Interested in joining my research group?
I have opportunities for undergraduate, Master's and PhD students, please get in contact if you are interested.
Publication
2026
- Chen, J. et al., 2026. Ancient introgression drives wild boar expansion and phenotypic diversification of domestic pigs. Science 393 (6818), pp.1335-1341. (10.1126/science.adq7553)
- Stanton, D. W. et al. 2026. Paleogenomes reveal the evolutionary relationship between modern and cave lions. Cell 189 (14), pp.4425-4436. (10.1016/j.cell.2026.05.007)
- Guðjónsdóttir, S. M. et al., 2026. Genome shows no recent inbreeding in near-extinction woolly rhinoceros sample found in ancient wolf's stomach. Genome Biology and Evolution 18 (1) evaf239. (10.1093/gbe/evaf239)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2026. Genomic and morphometric evidence for Austronesian-mediated pig translocation in the Pacific. Science 391 (6780) eadv4963. (10.1126/science.adv4963)
2025
- More, K. D. et al., 2025. Validating a target-enrichment design for capturing uniparental haplotypes in ancient domesticated animals. Molecular Ecology Resources 25 (7) e14112. (10.1111/1755-0998.14112)
- Runge, A. K. W. et al., 2025. Multifaceted analysis reveals diet and kinship of Late Pleistocene 'Tumat Puppies'. Quaternary Research: An Interdisciplinary Journal 127 , pp.44-58. (10.1017/qua.2025.10)
- Han, Y. et al., 2025. Ancient genomics reveals the origin, dispersal, and human management of East Asian domestic pigs. Molecular Biology and Evolution 42 (9) msaf214. (10.1093/molbev/msaf214)
- du Plessis, S. J. et al. 2025. Historical genomic variation of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Britain, from hunting trophies. Conservation Genetics Resources 17 , pp.101-110. (10.1007/s12686-025-01383-9)
2023
- Lin, A. T. et al., 2023. The history of Coast Salish “woolly dogs” revealed by ancient genomics and Indigenous Knowledge. Science 382 (6676), pp.1303-1308. (10.1126/science.adi6549)
- Conrado, A. C. et al., 2023. Amazonian earthworm biodiversity is heavily impacted by ancient and recent human disturbance. Science of the Total Environment 895 165087. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165087)
2022
- Moorhouse-Gann, R. J. et al. 2022. Impacts of herbivory by ecological replacements on an island ecosystem. Journal of Applied Ecology 59 (9), pp.2245-2261. (10.1111/1365-2664.14096)
- Bergström, A. et al., 2022. Grey wolf genomic history reveals a dual ancestry of dogs. Nature 607 (7918), pp.313-320. (10.1038/s41586-022-04824-9)
- Kutschera, V. E. et al., 2022. GenErode: a bioinformatics pipeline to investigate genome erosion in endangered and extinct species. BMC Bioinformatics 23 (1) 228. (10.1186/s12859-022-04757-0)
2021
- Demetrio, W. C. et al., 2021. A "Dirty" Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils. Global Change Biology 27 (19), pp.4575-4591. (10.1111/gcb.15752)
- Boeskorov, G. G. et al., 2021. The preliminary analysis of cave lion cubs panthera spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the permafrost of Siberia. Quaternary 4 (3) 24. (10.3390/quat4030024)
2020
- Lord, E. et al., 2020. Pre-extinction demographic stability and genomic signatures of adaptation in the woolly rhinoceros. Current Biology 30 (19), pp.3871-3879.E7. (10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.046)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2020. Early Pleistocene origin and extensive intra-species diversity of the extinct cave lion. Scientific Reports 10 12621. (10.1038/s41598-020-69474-1)
- Dussex, N. et al., 2020. Biomolecular analyses reveal the age, sex and species identity of a near-intact Pleistocene bird carcass. Communications Biology 3 (1) 84. (10.1038/s42003-020-0806-7)
2019
- Larsson, P. et al., 2019. Consequences of past climate change and recent human persecution on mitogenomic diversity in the arctic fox. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 374 (1788) 20190212. (10.1098/rstb.2019.0212)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2019. More grist for the mill?: Species delimitation in the genomic era and its implications for conservation. Conservation Genetics 20 (1), pp.101-113. (10.1007/s10592-019-01149-5)
- James, S. W. et al., 2019. A neotype for Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) (Clitellata). Zootaxa 4545 (1), pp.124-132. (10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.7)
2018
- Taheri, S. et al., 2018. Complex taxonomy of the ‘brush tail’ peregrine earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 124 , pp.60-70. (10.1016/j.ympev.2018.02.021)
2017
- Conrado, A. C. et al., 2017. The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the pantropical earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Rhinodrilidae, Clitellata): Mitogenome characterization and phylogenetic positioning. ZooKeys 688 , pp.1-13. (10.3897/zookeys.688.13721)
2016
- Sitko, J. et al., 2016. Integrative taxonomy of European parasitic flatworms of the genus Metorchis Looss, 1899 (Trematoda: Opisthorchiidae). Parasitology International 65 (3), pp.258-267. (10.1016/j.parint.2016.01.011)
- Stanton, D. W. G. , Mulville, J. A. and Bruford, M. W. 2016. Colonization of the Scottish islands via long-distance Neolithic transport of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283 (1828) 20160095. (10.1098/rspb.2016.0095)
- Cunha, L. et al. 2016. Soil animals and pedogenesis: The role of earthworms in anthropogenic soils. Soil Science 181 (3/4), pp.110-125. (10.1097/SS.0000000000000144)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2016. Non-invasive genetic identification confirms the presence of the endangered okapi Okapia Johnstoni south-west of the Congo River. Oryx 50 (01), pp.134-137. (10.1017/S0030605314000593)
- Sherrard-Smith, E. et al., 2016. Distribution and molecular phylogeny of biliary trematodes (Opisthorchiidae) infecting native Lutra lutra and alien Neovison vison across Europe. Parasitology International 65 (2), pp.163-170. (10.1016/j.parint.2015.11.007)
2015
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2015. Enhancing knowledge of an endangered and elusive species, the okapi, using non-invasive genetic techniques. Journal of Zoology 295 (4), pp.233-242. (10.1111/jzo.12205)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2015. Genetic structure of captive and free-ranging okapi (Okapia johnstoni) with implications for management. Conservation Genetics 16 (5), pp.1115-1126. (10.1007/s10592-015-0726-0)
2014
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2014. Contrasting genetic structure of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) across a latitudinal divide. Journal of Mammalogy 95 (4), pp.814-823. (10.1644/13-MAMM-A-201)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2014. Distinct and diverse: range-wide phylogeography reveals ancient lineages and high genetic variation in the endangered okapi (Okapia johnstoni). PLoS ONE 9 (7) e101081. (10.1371/journal.pone.0101081)
- Morrissey, C. A. et al. 2014. Developmental impairment in eurasian dipper nestlings exposed to urban stream pollutants. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33 (6), pp.1315-1323. (10.1002/etc.2555)
- Stanton, D. W. G. 2014. Phylogeography, population genetics and conservation of the okapi (Okapia johnstoni). PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
2013
- McCann, N. , Orozco ter Wengel, P. O. and Stanton, D. 2013. Modelling genetics within ecosystems. Nature 495 (7439), pp.47-47. (10.1038/495047d)
- Crowther, T. et al. 2013. Top-down control of soil fungal community composition by a globally distributed keystone consumer. Ecology 94 (11), pp.2518-2528. (10.1890/13-0197.1)
- Morrissey, C. et al. 2013. Eurasian dipper eggs indicate elevated organohalogenated contaminants persist in urban rivers. Environmental Science & Technology 47 (15), pp.8931-8939. (10.1021/es402124z)
2010
- Salgado-Lynn, M. et al., 2010. Microsatellite markers for the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus). Conservation Genetics Resources 2 (Supp 1), pp.159-163. (10.1007/s12686-010-9295-1)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2010. Microsatellite loci for the okapi (Okapia johnstoni). Conservation Genetics Resources 2 (Supp 1), pp.337-339. (10.1007/s12686-010-9235-0)
2009
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2009. Mitochondrial genetic diversity and structure of the European otter (Lutra lutra) in Britain. Conservation Genetics 10 (3), pp.733-737. (10.1007/s10592-008-9633-y)
Articles
- Chen, J. et al., 2026. Ancient introgression drives wild boar expansion and phenotypic diversification of domestic pigs. Science 393 (6818), pp.1335-1341. (10.1126/science.adq7553)
- Stanton, D. W. et al. 2026. Paleogenomes reveal the evolutionary relationship between modern and cave lions. Cell 189 (14), pp.4425-4436. (10.1016/j.cell.2026.05.007)
- Guðjónsdóttir, S. M. et al., 2026. Genome shows no recent inbreeding in near-extinction woolly rhinoceros sample found in ancient wolf's stomach. Genome Biology and Evolution 18 (1) evaf239. (10.1093/gbe/evaf239)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2026. Genomic and morphometric evidence for Austronesian-mediated pig translocation in the Pacific. Science 391 (6780) eadv4963. (10.1126/science.adv4963)
- More, K. D. et al., 2025. Validating a target-enrichment design for capturing uniparental haplotypes in ancient domesticated animals. Molecular Ecology Resources 25 (7) e14112. (10.1111/1755-0998.14112)
- Runge, A. K. W. et al., 2025. Multifaceted analysis reveals diet and kinship of Late Pleistocene 'Tumat Puppies'. Quaternary Research: An Interdisciplinary Journal 127 , pp.44-58. (10.1017/qua.2025.10)
- Han, Y. et al., 2025. Ancient genomics reveals the origin, dispersal, and human management of East Asian domestic pigs. Molecular Biology and Evolution 42 (9) msaf214. (10.1093/molbev/msaf214)
- du Plessis, S. J. et al. 2025. Historical genomic variation of Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) in Britain, from hunting trophies. Conservation Genetics Resources 17 , pp.101-110. (10.1007/s12686-025-01383-9)
- Lin, A. T. et al., 2023. The history of Coast Salish “woolly dogs” revealed by ancient genomics and Indigenous Knowledge. Science 382 (6676), pp.1303-1308. (10.1126/science.adi6549)
- Conrado, A. C. et al., 2023. Amazonian earthworm biodiversity is heavily impacted by ancient and recent human disturbance. Science of the Total Environment 895 165087. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165087)
- Moorhouse-Gann, R. J. et al. 2022. Impacts of herbivory by ecological replacements on an island ecosystem. Journal of Applied Ecology 59 (9), pp.2245-2261. (10.1111/1365-2664.14096)
- Bergström, A. et al., 2022. Grey wolf genomic history reveals a dual ancestry of dogs. Nature 607 (7918), pp.313-320. (10.1038/s41586-022-04824-9)
- Kutschera, V. E. et al., 2022. GenErode: a bioinformatics pipeline to investigate genome erosion in endangered and extinct species. BMC Bioinformatics 23 (1) 228. (10.1186/s12859-022-04757-0)
- Demetrio, W. C. et al., 2021. A "Dirty" Footprint: Macroinvertebrate diversity in Amazonian Anthropic Soils. Global Change Biology 27 (19), pp.4575-4591. (10.1111/gcb.15752)
- Boeskorov, G. G. et al., 2021. The preliminary analysis of cave lion cubs panthera spelaea (Goldfuss, 1810) from the permafrost of Siberia. Quaternary 4 (3) 24. (10.3390/quat4030024)
- Lord, E. et al., 2020. Pre-extinction demographic stability and genomic signatures of adaptation in the woolly rhinoceros. Current Biology 30 (19), pp.3871-3879.E7. (10.1016/j.cub.2020.07.046)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2020. Early Pleistocene origin and extensive intra-species diversity of the extinct cave lion. Scientific Reports 10 12621. (10.1038/s41598-020-69474-1)
- Dussex, N. et al., 2020. Biomolecular analyses reveal the age, sex and species identity of a near-intact Pleistocene bird carcass. Communications Biology 3 (1) 84. (10.1038/s42003-020-0806-7)
- Larsson, P. et al., 2019. Consequences of past climate change and recent human persecution on mitogenomic diversity in the arctic fox. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 374 (1788) 20190212. (10.1098/rstb.2019.0212)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2019. More grist for the mill?: Species delimitation in the genomic era and its implications for conservation. Conservation Genetics 20 (1), pp.101-113. (10.1007/s10592-019-01149-5)
- James, S. W. et al., 2019. A neotype for Pontoscolex corethrurus (Müller, 1857) (Clitellata). Zootaxa 4545 (1), pp.124-132. (10.11646/zootaxa.4545.1.7)
- Taheri, S. et al., 2018. Complex taxonomy of the ‘brush tail’ peregrine earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 124 , pp.60-70. (10.1016/j.ympev.2018.02.021)
- Conrado, A. C. et al., 2017. The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the pantropical earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus (Rhinodrilidae, Clitellata): Mitogenome characterization and phylogenetic positioning. ZooKeys 688 , pp.1-13. (10.3897/zookeys.688.13721)
- Sitko, J. et al., 2016. Integrative taxonomy of European parasitic flatworms of the genus Metorchis Looss, 1899 (Trematoda: Opisthorchiidae). Parasitology International 65 (3), pp.258-267. (10.1016/j.parint.2016.01.011)
- Stanton, D. W. G. , Mulville, J. A. and Bruford, M. W. 2016. Colonization of the Scottish islands via long-distance Neolithic transport of red deer (Cervus elaphus). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283 (1828) 20160095. (10.1098/rspb.2016.0095)
- Cunha, L. et al. 2016. Soil animals and pedogenesis: The role of earthworms in anthropogenic soils. Soil Science 181 (3/4), pp.110-125. (10.1097/SS.0000000000000144)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2016. Non-invasive genetic identification confirms the presence of the endangered okapi Okapia Johnstoni south-west of the Congo River. Oryx 50 (01), pp.134-137. (10.1017/S0030605314000593)
- Sherrard-Smith, E. et al., 2016. Distribution and molecular phylogeny of biliary trematodes (Opisthorchiidae) infecting native Lutra lutra and alien Neovison vison across Europe. Parasitology International 65 (2), pp.163-170. (10.1016/j.parint.2015.11.007)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2015. Enhancing knowledge of an endangered and elusive species, the okapi, using non-invasive genetic techniques. Journal of Zoology 295 (4), pp.233-242. (10.1111/jzo.12205)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2015. Genetic structure of captive and free-ranging okapi (Okapia johnstoni) with implications for management. Conservation Genetics 16 (5), pp.1115-1126. (10.1007/s10592-015-0726-0)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2014. Contrasting genetic structure of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) across a latitudinal divide. Journal of Mammalogy 95 (4), pp.814-823. (10.1644/13-MAMM-A-201)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2014. Distinct and diverse: range-wide phylogeography reveals ancient lineages and high genetic variation in the endangered okapi (Okapia johnstoni). PLoS ONE 9 (7) e101081. (10.1371/journal.pone.0101081)
- Morrissey, C. A. et al. 2014. Developmental impairment in eurasian dipper nestlings exposed to urban stream pollutants. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry 33 (6), pp.1315-1323. (10.1002/etc.2555)
- McCann, N. , Orozco ter Wengel, P. O. and Stanton, D. 2013. Modelling genetics within ecosystems. Nature 495 (7439), pp.47-47. (10.1038/495047d)
- Crowther, T. et al. 2013. Top-down control of soil fungal community composition by a globally distributed keystone consumer. Ecology 94 (11), pp.2518-2528. (10.1890/13-0197.1)
- Morrissey, C. et al. 2013. Eurasian dipper eggs indicate elevated organohalogenated contaminants persist in urban rivers. Environmental Science & Technology 47 (15), pp.8931-8939. (10.1021/es402124z)
- Salgado-Lynn, M. et al., 2010. Microsatellite markers for the proboscis monkey (Nasalis larvatus). Conservation Genetics Resources 2 (Supp 1), pp.159-163. (10.1007/s12686-010-9295-1)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2010. Microsatellite loci for the okapi (Okapia johnstoni). Conservation Genetics Resources 2 (Supp 1), pp.337-339. (10.1007/s12686-010-9235-0)
- Stanton, D. W. G. et al. 2009. Mitochondrial genetic diversity and structure of the European otter (Lutra lutra) in Britain. Conservation Genetics 10 (3), pp.733-737. (10.1007/s10592-008-9633-y)
Thesis
- Stanton, D. W. G. 2014. Phylogeography, population genetics and conservation of the okapi (Okapia johnstoni). PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Research
My research uses field, molecular and analytic approaches to attempt to understand why biodiversity changes over time. I predominantly use ancient DNA and bioinformatics to leverage information from old or degraded specimens.
Funding
My work has been supported by the following funders:
- NERC
- European Commission (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship)
- Uppsala Multidisciplinary Center for Advanced Computational Science
- Wellcome
- Cardiff University School of Biosciences
- PacBio
- Gilman International Conservation
- Zoological Society of London
Fieldwork
My research includes/included fieldwork in the following locations:
- South America (The Brazilian states of Paraná, Mato Grosso do Sol, Mato Grosso, Rondônia, Amazonas)
- Democratic Republic of Congo (The Okapi Faunal Reserve and the Lomami National Park)
- Honduras (Cusuco National Park)
- South Wales (Taff, Rhymney, Sirhowy, and Ebbw river catchments)
- Malaysian Borneo (Danau Girang FIeld Centre, Kinabatangan River)
Biography
Academic career to date:
- 2022 - present: Lecturer (Cardiff University School of Biosciences)
- 2020 – 2022: Post-doctoral researcher (Queen Mary University of London)
- 2018 – 2020: Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow (Swedish Museum of Natural History)
- 2015 – 2018: Research Associate (Cardiff University)
- 2010 – 2015: PhD (Cardiff University)
- 2007 – 2010: Research assistant (Cardiff University)
- 2004 – 2007: BSc Biology (Cardiff University)
Honours and awards:
- Honorary Fellow, Cardiff University School of History, Archaeology and Religion (2018)
- Honorary Fellow, Cardiff University School of Biosciences (2018)
News articles
Contact Details
[email protected]
+44 29225 14649
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/6.10, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
+44 29225 14649
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/6.10, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
