Riccardo Castiglia born in Rome on 12-oct-1969. He carries out his entire academic career at the
Department of Animal and Human Biology, now Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles
Darwin", University of Rome "La Sapienza".
He graduated in Biological Sciences in 1994 and obtained his PhD in Animal Biology in 2000. Since 2006 he
is a researcher scientist. Since 2003 he’s assistant professor of Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates for the
undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences and since 2010 he’s assistant professor of Evolutionary History
of Vertebrates for the master's degree in Ecobiology. Since 2007 he’s a member of the faculty of the PhD in
Animal Biology. He has done consulting for Agriconsulting spa and the IEA (Institute of Applied Ecology) in
relation to the preparation of the management plans of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park and of the
Gargano National Park (amphibians and reptiles). He is a member of the editorial board of the peerreviewed journals ISRN Zoology and The Scientific World Journal and Biodiversity Data Journal. He’s referee
for more than twenty different journals with impact factor. His lines of research are the cytotaxonomy and
chromosomal evolution in rodents and reptiles, phylogeography of small mammals in the Mediterranean
region, and evolutionary biology of chromosomal races of the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus). In
addition to Italy, he took part in field research in Africa (Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Zambia) and in Mexico
(Jalisco and Chiapas). He authored more than 60 articles in scientific journals "peer reviewed" (including:
Biological invasions, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, Chromosome Research, Evolution, Heredity,
Journal of Zoology, Journal of Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Proceedings of
the Royal Society B -Biological Science, Mammal Review) and five book chapters (including three for the
book "Fauna of Italy. Mammalia II. Erinaceomorpha - Soricomorpha - Lagomorpha - Rodentia").
2013
1.
Castiglia R (2013) Sympatric sister species in rodents are more chromosomally differentiated than allopatric
ones: implications for the role of chromosomal rearrangements in speciation. MAMMAL REVIEW In stampa.
2.
Castiglia R, Bezerra AMR, Munoz A, O Flores-Villela, Gornung E (2013) Comparative cytogenetics of two
species of ground skinks: Scincella assata and S. cherriei (Squamata: Scincidae: Lygosominae) from Chiapas,
Mexico. ACTA HERPETOLOGICA in stampa.
3.
Gornung E, Mosconi F, Annesi F, Castiglia R (2013) The first cytogenetic description of Euleptes europaea
(Gené, 1839) from Northern Sardinia reveals the highest diploid chromosome number among
sphaerodactylid geckos (Sphaerodactylidae, Squamata). COMPARATIVE CYTOGENETICS 7: 153-161.
4.
Solano E, Franchini P, Colangelo P, Capanna E, Castiglia R (2013) Multiple origins of the western European
house mouse in the Aeolian Archipelago: clues from mtDNA and chromosomes. BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS 111 doi:10.1007/s10530-012-0322-x
2012
5.
Castiglia R, Annesi F (2012) Cytotaxonomic considerations on the sex chromosome variation observed within
Acomys ngurui Verheyen et al. 2011 (Rodentia Muridae). ZOOTAXA 3493: 35-38.
6.
Mortelliti A., Castiglia R, Amori G, Maryanto I, Musser GG (2012) A New Species of Margaretamys (Rodentia:
Muridae: Murinae: Rattini) from Pegunungan Mekongga, Southeastern Sulawesi, Indonesia. TROPICAL
ZOOLOGY 25: 74-107.
7.
Castiglia R, Annesi F, Cattaneo C, Grano M, Milana G, Amori G A new mitochondrial lineage in the edible
dormouse, Glis glis (Rodentia: Gliridae), from Alonissos island (Sporades Archipelago, Greece) FOLIA
ZOOLOGICA 61: 177-180.
8.
Castiglia R, Solano E, Makundi RH, Hulselmans J, Verheyen E, Colangelo P. (2012) Rapid chromosomal
evolution in the mesic four-striped grass rat Rhabdomys dilectus (Rodentia, Muridae) revealed by mtDNA
phylogeographic analysis. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTIONARY RESEARCH 50: 165172.
2011
9.
Gornung E, Castiglia R, Rovatsos M, Marchal JA, Díaz de la Guardia-Quiles R, and Sanchez A. (2011)
Comparative cytogenetic study of two sister species of the Iberian ground voles, Microtus (Terricola)
duodecimcostatus and M. (T.) lusitanicus (Rodentia, Cricetidae). CYTOGENETICS AND GENOME RESEARCH
132: 144-150.
10. Castiglia R, Gornung E, Cividin M, Cristaldi M. (2011) High diversity of centric fusions with monobrachial
homology in an area of chromosomal polymorphism of Mus musculus domesticus. BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF
THE LINNEAN SOCIETY 103: 722-731.
11. Castiglia R, Annesi F. The phylogenetic position of Lygodactylus angularis and the utility of using the 16S
rDNA gene for delimiting species in Lygodactylus (Squamata, Gekkonidae). ACTA HERPETOLOGICA 6: 35-45.
12. Gornung E, Bezerra AMR, Castiglia R. Chromosomal differentiation in the Microtus savii complex (Rodentia,
Cricetidae). COMPARATIVE CYTOGENETICS 5: 247-258.
2010
13. Acosta MG, Marchal JA, Fernández-Espartero C, Romero-Fernández I, Rovatsos MT, Giagia-Athanasopoulou
EB, Gornung E, Castiglia R, Sánchez A. (2010) Characterization of the satellite DNA Msat-160 from species of
Terricola (Microtus) and Arvicola (Rodentia, Arvicolinae). GENETICA 138: 1085-1098
14. Gornung E, Bizzoco D, Colangelo P, Castiglia R. (2010) Comparative cytogenetic and genetic study of two
Italian populations of the garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus L. (Sciuromorpha: Gliridae). ITALIAN JOURNAL
OF ZOOLOGY 77: 137-143.
15. Castiglia R, Annesi F, Bezerra AMR, García A, Flores-Villela O. (2010) Cytotaxonomy and DNA taxonomy of
lizards (Squamata, Sauria) from a tropical dry forest in the Chamela-Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the
coast of Jalisco, Mexico. ZOOTAXA 2508: 1–29
16. Colangelo P, Herwig L, Castiglia R, D'Aes M, Verheyen E. (2010) New data on the distribution and
phylogenetic position of Mastomys awashensis (Rodentia, Muridae). MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY 75: 463-465
17. Colangelo P, Castiglia R., Franchini P, Solano E. (2010) Geometric morphometrics define skull shape
differences in genus Gerbilliscus (Rodentia, Muridae) from eastern Africa: historical and adaptive processes.
MAMMALIAN BIOLOGY 75: 302-310
18. Franchini P, Colangelo P, Solano E, Capanna E, Verheyen E Castiglia R. (2010) Reduced gene flow at
pericentromeric loci in a hybrid zone involving chromosomal races of the house mouse Mus musculus
domesticus. EVOLUTION 64: 2020 -2032
19. Veyrunes F, Chevret P, Catalan J, Castiglia R, Watson J, Dobigny G, Robinson TJ, Britton-Davidian J (2010) A
novel sex determination system in a close relative of the house mouse. PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL
SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE 277 1049-1056.
2009
20. Amori G, Gippoliti S, Castiglia R (2009) European non volant mammal diversity: conservation priorities
inferred from mitochondrial DNA. FOLIA ZOOLOGICA 58: 270-278.
21. Castiglia R., Annesi F, Krystufek B, Filippucci MG, Amori G (2009) The evolutionary history of a mammal
species with a highly fragmented range: the phylogeography of the European snow vole. JOURNAL OF
ZOOLOGY 279: 243-250
22. Solano E, Castiglia R, Capanna E (2009) Chromosomal evolution of the Robertsonian races of the House
mouse Mus musculus domesticus in the Aeolian Archipelago (Sicily, Italy). BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE
LINNEAN SOCIETY 96: 194-202.
23. Castiglia R, Annesi F. Sichilima AM, Hutterer R. (2009) The phylogenetic affinities of the moonshine shrew,
Crocidura luna Dollman, 1910 and the description of a new remarkable karyotype. MAMMALIA 73: 56-59.
24. Castiglia R, García A, Bezerra AMR, Flores-Villela O, Gournung E (2009) Karyotypic diversification due to
Robertsonian rearrangements in Phyllodactylus lanei Smith, 1935 (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Mexico.
2009 RENDICONTI LINCEI CLASSE DI SCIENZE FISICHE, MATEMATICHE E NATURALI. RENDICONTI LINCEI.
SUPPLEMENTO, 20: 77-82.
25. Rebuzzini P, Castiglia R, Nergadze SG, Mitsainas G, Munclinger P, Zuccotti M, Capanna E, Redi CA, Garagna S
(2009) Quantitative variation of LINE-1 sequences in five species and three subspecies of the subgenus Mus
and in five Robertsonian races of Mus musculus domesticus. CHROMOSOME RESEARCH 17: 65-76.
26. Gornung E, Cristaldi M, Castiglia R (2009) Comparative Cytogenetic Analysis in the “Sylvaemus” Group of
Apodemus (Rodentia, Muridae): A. sylvaticus from Sicily and A. flavicollis from the Central Apennines. ACTA
THERIOLOGICA, 54: 267-275.
27. Capanna E, Castiglia R, Solano E (2009). Men and mice: mouse population genetics in the Aeolian
archipelago. In: Casellato S, Burighel P. Minelli A. LIFE AND TIME: THE EVOLUTION OF LIFE AND ITS HISTORY.
p. 59-74, Padova: Cleup
28. Castiglia R (2009). Mus musculus linnaeus, 1758 Topo domestico. In: Amori G, Battisti C, De Felici S. I
MAMMIFERI DELLA PROVINCIA DI ROMA. DALLO STATO DELLE CONOSCENZE ALLA GESTIONE E
CONSERVAZIONE DELLE SPECIE. p. 178-179, Rome: Stilgrafica Roma.
2008
29. Franchini P, Castiglia R, Capanna E (2008). Reproductive isolation between chromosomal races of Mus
musculus domesticus in a parapatric contact area revealed by multiple unlinked loci. JOURNAL OF
EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 21: 502-513.
30. Castiglia R, Annesi F, Aloise G, Amori G (2008). Systematics of the Microtus savii complex (Rodentia,
Cricetidae) via mitochondrial DNA analyses: paraphyly and pattern of sex chromosome evolution.
MOLECULAR PHYLOGENETICS AND EVOLUTION 46: 1157-1164.
31. Castiglia R, Oguge N (2008). Karyotype divergence between two subspecies of the typical striped grass
mouse Lemniscomys striatus (Linnaeus 1758) (Rodentia Muridae). MAMMALIA 72: 57-70.
32. Gornung E, Volleth M, Capanna E, Castiglia R (2008) Comparative cytogenetics of moles (Eulipotyphla,
Talpidae): chromosomal differences in Talpa romana and T. europaea. CYTOGENETIC AND GENOME
RESEARCH 121: 249-254.
33. Castiglia R, Corti M (2008). Mus musculus Linnaeus, 1758. In: A Amori G., Contoli L., Nappi A. FAUNA
D’ITALIA. MAMMALIA II. ERINACEOMORPHA - SORICOMORPHA - LAGOMORPHA - RODENTIA. p. 633-645,
Bologna: Calderini.
34. Contoli L, Nappi A, Castiglia R (2008). Caratteri generali dei Microtus (Terricola) del "gruppo savii". In: Amori
G., Contoli L., Nappi A. FAUNA D’ITALIA. MAMMALIA II. ERINACEOMORPHA - SORICOMORPHA LAGOMORPHA - RODENTIA. p. 525-535, Bologna: Calderini.
35. Castiglia R, Corti M (2008). Genere Mus Linnaeus, 1758. In: Amori G., Contoli L., Nappi A. FAUNA D’ITALIA.
MAMMALIA II. ERINACEOMORPHA - SORICOMORPHA - LAGOMORPHA - RODENTIA. p. 632-633, Bologna:
Calderini.