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Kevin Kocot

Kevin M. Kocot

he/him/his

Associate Professor
Curator of Invertebrate Zoology, Alabama Museum of Natural History
Webmaster

Education

  • Postdoctoral research: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, 2014-2015
  • Postdoctoral research: Auburn University, 2013
  • Ph.D., Molecular Biology, Auburn University, 2013
  • B.S., Biology, Illinois State University, 2006

Research Interests

  • Invertebrate taxonomy & systematics
  • Genomics
  • Mollusca
  • Hemichordata
  • Meiofauna
  • Biomineralization

Selected Publications

  1. Davis-Berg, E.C. and K.M. Kocot. 2021. Innovation in teaching and learning invertebrate zoology in remote and online classrooms. Invertebrate Biology: e12329.
  2. Cobo, M.C.* and K.M. Kocot. 2021. On the diversity of abyssal Dondersiidae (Mollusca, Aplacophora) with the description of a new genus, seven new species, and a review of the family. Zootaxa 4933(1): 63-97.
  3. Varney, R.M.*, D.I. Speiser, C. McDougall, B.M. Degnan, and K.M. Kocot. 2021. The iron responsive genome of the chiton Acanthopleura granulata (Mollusca, Aculifera). Genome Biology and Evolution 13(1): evaa263.
  4. Varney, R.M.*, B. Brenzinger, M.A.E. Malaquias, C.P. Meyer, M. Schrödl, and K.M. Kocot. 2021. Assessment of mitochondrial genomes for heterobranch gastropod phylogenetics. BMC Evolutionary Biology 21:6.
  5. Ramírez-Guerrero, G.M., K.M. Kocot, and C.B. Cameron. 2020. Zooid morphology and molecular phylogeny of the graptolite Rhabdopleura annulata (Hemichordata, Pterobranchia) from Heron Island, Australia. Canadian Journal of Zoology 98(12):844-849.
  6. obo, M.C.* and M. Kocot. 2020. Micromenia amphiatlantica sp. nov.: First solenogaster (Mollusca, Aplacophora) with an amphi-Atlantic distribution and insight into abyssal solenogaster diversity. Deep Sea Research Part I.
  7. Kocot, K.M., A.J. Poustka, I. Stöger, K.M. Halanych, and M. Schrödl. 2020. New data from Monoplacophora and a carefully-curated dataset resolve molluscan relationships. Scientific Reports 10:101.
  8. Laumer, C.E., R. Fernández, S. Lemer, D. Combosch, M. Kocot, A. Riesgo, S.C.S. Andrade, W. Sterrer, M.V. Sørensen, and G. Giribet. Revisiting metazoan phylogeny with genomic sampling of all phyla. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286: 20190831.
  9. Varney, R.M.*, P. Funch, M. Kocot, and M.V. Sørensen. 2019. A new species of Echinoderes (Cyclorhagida: Echinoderidae) from the San Juan Islands, Washington State, USA, and insights into the kinorhynch transcriptome. Zoologischer Anzeiger 282: 52-63.
  10. Smythe, A.B., O. Holovachov, and M. Kocot. 2019. Improved phylogenomic sampling of free-living nematodes enhances resolution of higher-level nematode phylogeny. BMC Evolutionary Biology 19:121.
  11. Sogabe, S., W. L. Hatleberg, M. Kocot, T. E. Say, D. Stoupin, K. Roper, S. Fernandez-Valverde, S. M. Degnan, and B. M. Degnan. 2019. Pluripotency and the origin of animal multicellularity. Nature. 570: 519-522.
  12. Kocot, K.M., C. Todt, N.T. Mikkelsen, and K.M. Halanych. 2019. Phylogenomics of Aplacophora (Mollusca, Aculifera) and a solenogaster without a foot. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286(1902):20190115.
  13. Mikkelsen, N.T., C. Todt, M. Kocot, K.M. Halanych, and E. Willassen. 2018. Molecular phylogeny of Caudofoveata (Mollusca) challenges traditional views. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 132: 138-150.
  14. Li, Y., M. Kocot, M.G. Tassia, J.T. Cannon, M. Bernt, and K.M. Halanych. 2018. Mitogenomics reveals a novel genetic code in Hemichordata. Genome Biology and Evolution evy254.
  15. Pabst, E.A.* and M. Kocot. 2018. Phylogenomics confirms monophyly of Nudipleura (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia). Journal of Molluscan Studies 84(3): 259–265.
  16. Mikkelsen, N.T., M. Kocot, and K.M. Halanych. 2018. Mitogenomics reveals phylogenetic relationships of caudofoveate aplacophoran molluscs. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 127: 429-436.
  17. Kocot, K.M., Tassia, M.G., Halanych, K.M. and Swalla, B.J., 2018. Phylogenomics offers resolution of major tunicate relationships. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 121: 166-173.
  18. Whelan, N.V., M. Kocot, T. P. Moroz, K. Mukherjee, P. Williams, G. Paulay, L. L. Moroz and K. M. Halanych. 2017. Ctenophore relationships and their placement as the sister group to all other animals. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1(11): 1737.
  19. Hall, M.R., M. Kocot, K.W. Baughman, S.L. Fernandez-Valverde, M.E.A. Gauthier, W.L. Hatleberg, A. Krishnan, C. McDougall, C.A. Motti, E. Shoguchi, T. Wang, X. Xiang, M. Zhao, U. Bose, C. Shinzato, K. Hisata, M. Fujie, M. Kanda, S.F. Cummins, N. Satoh, S.M. Degnan, and B.M. Degnan. 2017. The crown-of-thorns starfish genome as a guide for biocontrol of this coral reef pest. Nature 544: 231-234.
  20. Halanych, K.M. and M. Kocot. 2017. Genome evolution: Shellfish genes. Nature Ecology and Evolution 1:0142.
  21. Stöger, I., Kocot, K.M., Poustka, A.J., Wilson, N.G., Ivanov, D., Halanych, K.M., and Schrödl, M. 2017. Monoplacophoran mitochondrial genomes: convergent gene arrangements and little phylogenetic signal. BMC Evolutionary Biology 16:274.
  22. Kocot K.M., T.H. Struck, J. Merkel, D.S. Waits, C. Todt, P.M. Brannock, D.A. Weese, J.T. Cannon, L.L. Moroz, B. Lieb, and K.M. Halanych. 2017. Phylogenomics of Lophotrochozoa with consideration of systematic error. Systematic Biology 66(2): 256-282.
  23. Kocot, K.M., F. Aguilera, C. McDougall, D.J. Jackson, and B.M. Degnan. 2016. Sea shell diversity and rapidly evolving secretomes: insights into the evolution of biomineralization. Frontiers in Zoology 13(1): 1.
  24. Kocot, K.M. On 20 years of Lophotrochozoa. Organisms Diversity and Evolution, 16: 329-343.
  25. Whelan, N.V., M. Kocot, L.L. Moroz, and K.M. Halanych. 2015. Error, signal, and the placement of Ctenophora sister to all other animals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112(18): 5773-5778.
  26. Kocot, K.M. and C. Todt. 2014. Three new species of meiofaunal solenogasters (Mollusca, Aplacophora) from Friday Harbor, WA, USA. Journal of Natural History 48: 3007-3031.
  27. Cannon, J.T., M. Kocot, D.S. Waits, D.A. Weese, B.J. Swalla, S.R. Santos, and K.M. Halanych. 2014. Phylogenomic Resolution of the hemichordate and echinoderm clade. Current Biology 24(23): 2827-2832.
  28. Todt, C. and M. Kocot. 2014. New records for Proneomenia sluiteri (Mollusca: Solenogastres) from Iceland and description of a new species, the brooding Proneomenia custodiens n. sp. Polish Journal of Polar Research 35(2): 291-310.
  29. Moroz, L.L., M. Kocot, M.R. Citarella, S. Dosung, T.P. Norekian, I.S. Povolotskaya, A.P. Grigorenko, C. Dailey, E. Berezikov, K. Buckley, D. Reshetov, A. Ptitsyn, K. Mukherjee, T.P. Moroz, E. Dabe, F. Yu, V.V. Kapitonov, J. Jurka, Y. Bobkov, J.J. Swore, D.O. Girardo, R. Bruders, C.E. Mills, V.V. Solovyev, J. Rast, B. J. Swalla, F.A. Kondrashov, J.V. Sweedler, E.I. Rogaev, K.M. Halanych, and A.B. Kohn. 2014. The genome of the ctenophore and the emergence of nervous systems. Nature 510: 109-114.
  30. Kocot, K.M., M.R. Citarella, L.L. Moroz, and K.M. Halanych. 2013. PhyloTreePruner: a phylogenetic tree-based approach for selection of orthologous sequences for phylogenomics. Evolutionary Bioinformatics 2013(9): 429-435.
  31. Kocot, K.M., K.M. Halanych, and P.J. Krug. 2013. Phylogenomics supports the Panpulmonata hypothesis: Resolving key steps in the evolutionary radiation of gastropod molluscs. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69(3): 764-771.
  32. Kocot, K.M. Recent advances and unanswered questions in deep molluscan phylogenetics. American Malacological Bulletin 31(1): 1-14.
  33. Scheltema, A.M., C. Schander, and M. Kocot. 2012. Hard and soft anatomy in two genera of Dondersiidae (Mollusca, Aplacophora, Solenogastres). Biological Bulletin 222: 233-269.
  34. Kocot, M., J.T. Cannon, C. Todt, A.B. Kohn, M.R. Citarella, A. Meyer, C. Schander, S.R. Santos, L.L. Moroz, B. Lieb, and K.M. Halanych. 2011. Phylogenomics reveals deep molluscan relationships. Nature 477: 452-456.

*Kocot lab student or postdoc