Dr Isabel Hyman

Dr Isabel Hyman developed an interest in snails and slugs in the early stages of her undergraduate degree, carrying out taxonomic projects on mollusc groups throughout her B.Sc. (Adv) (Hons) and going on to work at the Australian Museum after graduation. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Sydney for a taxonomic and systematic study of Australian Helicarionidae and Microcystidae.

After a Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology in Munich, Germany, working on limacid slugs, Isabel took several years of maternity leave to care for her three sons. She returned to work as a postdoctoral fellow at the Australian Museum in 2015. Since that time, Isabel has jointly received several research grants from the Australian Government’s Australian Biological Resources Study National Taxonomy Research Grant Program; the Australian Museum Foundation; and the Australia and Pacific Science Foundation, supporting her continued research on the taxonomy, systematics and conservation of Australian land snails.

Isabel has worked extensively on Norfolk Island and Lord Howe Island with Critically Endangered land snail species, carrying out surveys and assessments for land managers, as well undertaking ongoing taxonomic revisions and phylogenetic and biogeographic studies. During this time she has experienced some very exciting moments, rediscovering four endemic species thought to be extinct. Isabel has co-authored a glossy, illustrated Field Guide to the land snails of Lord Howe Island, illustrating many of the endemic species with never-before-seen live photographs.

• Ph.D., University of Sydney. Thesis: Taxonomy, systematics and evolutionary trends in Helicarionidae (Mollusca, Pulmonata)
• Bachelor of Science (Advanced) (Honours class I), University of Sydney

• 2021 National Geographic Grant (Principal Investigator)
• 2020 Australian Museum Foundation Grant (Joint Investigator)
• 2020 Australia and Pacific Science Foundation Grant (Joint Investigator)
• 2019 Australian Museum Foundation Grant (Joint Investigator)
• 2019 National Taxonomy Research Grant (ABRS; Joint Investigator)
• 2015 National Taxonomy Research Grant (ABRS; Joint Investigator)
• 2006 Humboldt Fellowship (Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany)
• 2004 Bursary for Student Travel (Australian Biological Resources Study)
• 2002 Mollusc Research Grant (Malacological Society of Australasia)
• 2002 Thenie Baddams Bursary (Australian Federation of University Women)
• 2001 Joyce W. Vickery Scientific Research Fund Grant (Linnean Society of New South Wales)
• 2001 Student Research Grant in Malacology (Western Society of Malacologists, Santa Barbara Malacological Society, Southwest Shell Club, San Diego Shell Club, Northern California Malacological Club)
• 2001 Australian Museum Postgraduate Award (Australian Museum)

• Hyman, I. T., Ahyong, S. T., Köhler, F., McEvey, S. F., Milledge, G., Reid, C. A. M. & Rowley, J. J. L. 2020. Impacts of the 2019–2020 bushfires on New South Wales biodiversity: a rapid assessment of distribution data for selected invertebrate taxa. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum 32: 1–17. https://doi.org/10.3853/j.1835-4211.32.2020.1768
• Köhler, F., Criscione, F., Hallan, A., Hyman, I. T. & Kessner, V. 2020 Lessons from Timor: Shells are poor taxonomic indicators in Asperitas land snails (Stylommatophora, Dyakiidae). Zoologica Scripta. https://doi.org/10.1111/zsc.12449
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2020. A field guide to the land snails of Lord Howe Island. Sydney: Australian Museum Scientific Publishing.
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2020. Feeling sluggish: the extreme semislugs of Australia (Stylommatophora, Helicarionidae). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12376
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2019. Phylogeny and systematic revision of the helicarionid semislugs of eastern Queensland (Stylommatophora, Helicarionidae). Contributions to Zoology 88(4):351-451.
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2019. Revision of Sigaloeista Shea & Griffiths, 2010 (Helicarionidae, Gastropoda, Stylommatophora) from eastern Australia. Molluscan Research: 39(2): 171-189.
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2018. A revision of eastern Australian land snails placed in Nitor Gude (Helicarionidae, Stylommatophora). Invertebrate Systematics 32: 1171–1205.
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2018. Reconciling comparative anatomy and mitochondrial phylogenetics in revising species limits in the Australian semislug Helicarion Férussac, 1821 (Gastropoda: Stylommatophora). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.
• Köhler, F. & Hyman, I.T. 2018. The Australian Museum Lord Howe Island Expedition 2017—land snail fauna. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum, 26: 45–51.
• Hyman, I. T. & Köhler, F. 2017. Attenborougharion gen. nov. (Mollusca: Pulmonata: Helicarionidae): a likely case of convergent evolution in southeasternTasmania. Records of the Australian Museum 69(2): 65–72.
• Hyman, I. T., Lamborena, I. de la I., & Köhler, F. 2017. Molecular phylogenetics and systematic revision of the south-eastern Australian Helicarionidae (Gastropoda, Stylommatophora). Contributions to Zoology 86(1): 51-95.
• Hyman, I. T. & Ponder, W. F. 2016. Helicarionidae (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia:
• Stylommatophora) of Lord Howe Island. Molluscan Research 36(2): 84-107.
• Heim, R., Nitz, B., Schneppat, U., Hyman, I. & Haszprunar, G. 2010. Der Sarner-Schnegel Limax sarnensis Heim & Nitz 2009 (Pulmonata: Limacidae). Die Entdeckung einer neuen Nacktschneckenart in der Schweiz und Nordwest-Italien. In: Naturforschung in Obwalden und Nidwalden, Sammelband. NAGON Band 4: 8-21.
• Hyman, I. T. & Ponder, W. F. 2010. A morphological phylogenetic analysis and generic revision of Australian Helicarionidae (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Stylommatophora), and an assessment of the relationships of the family. Zootaxa 2462: 1–148.
• Nitz, B., Heim, R., Schneppat, U. E., Hyman, I. T. & Hazsprunar, G. 2009. Towards a new standard in slug species descriptions: the case of Limax sarnensis Heim & Nitz n. sp. (Pulmonata: Limacidae) from the western Central Alps. Journal of Molluscan Studies 75: 279–294.
• Hyman, I. T., Ho, S. Y. W., & Jermiin, L. S. 2007. Molecular phylogeny of Australian Helicarionidae, Euconulidae and related groups (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Stylommatophora) based on mitochondrial DNA. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45: 792–812.
• Hyman, I. T. 2007. Three new genera and five new species of Helicarionidae from southeastern Australia (Pulmonata: Stylommatophora: Helicarionoidea). Molluscan Research 27(2): 89–104.
• Hyman, I. 2006. The first annual meeting of Task-Force-Limax, Bünder Naturmuseum, Chur, Switzerland, 8-10 September, 2006: presentation, outcomes and abstracts. MalaCo 3: 104-107. http://www.journal-malaco.fr/documents/malaco3_ebook.pdf
• Hyman, I. 2006. Collecting and transporting living slugs (Pulmonata: Limacidae) . MalaCo 3: 107-108. http://www.journal-malaco.fr/documents/malaco3_ebook.pdf
• Hyman, I. T. & Stanisic, J. 2005. New charopid land snails chiefly from limestone outcrops in New South Wales (Pulmonata: Charopidae). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 50(2): 219-302.
• Hyman, I. T., Rouse, G. W. & Ponder, W. F. 2005. Systematics of Ophicardelus (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Ellobiidae). Molluscan Research 25(1): 14-26.
• Hyman, I. T., Ponder, W. F. & Rouse, G. W. 2004. Ophicardelus (Mollusca, Pulmonata) in eastern Australia: how many taxa? Journal of Natural History. 38(18): 2377-2401.
• Hyman, I. T. 1999. A comparison of two onchidiid species (Mollusca, Pulmonata). Molluscan Research 20(1): 61-72.