David Toews

Assistant Professor of Biology

David Toews

Huck Affiliations

Links

Most Recent Publications

Reassessing niche partitioning in MacArthur's warblers: foraging behaviour, morphology and diet differentiation in a phylogenetic context

Eliot T. Miller, Andrew W. Wood, Marcella Baiz, Andreanna J. Welch, Robert C. Fleischer, Adrienne S. Dale, David P.L. Toews, 2025, Biology Letters

Recently Delisted Songbird Harbors Extensive Genomic Evidence of Inbreeding, Potentially Complicating Future Recovery

Anna María Calderón, Andrew W. Wood, Zachary A. Szpiech, David P.L. Toews, 2024, Evolutionary Applications

Comparative bioacoustics of multiple eastern versus western songbird pairs in North America reveals a gradient of song divergence

Lan Nhi Phung, David P.L. Toews, 2024, PLoS One

Ephemeral river islands serve as roosting and foraging habitat for boreal and austral migratory songbirds

Valentina Gómez-Bahamón, José D. Femayor-Pérez, Riquelme Durán, Santiago J. Monroy-García, Nairo Gutiérrez, David Ricardo Caro-R, Kevin J. Kardynal, David P.L. Toews, Nicholas Bayly, 2024, Ecology

Association between the gut microbiome and carotenoid plumage phenotype in an avian hybrid zone

Marcella D. Baiz, Andrew W. Wood, David P.L. Toews, 2024, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Genomics-informed conservation units reveal spatial variation in climate vulnerability in a migratory bird

Caitlin V. Miller, Christen M. Bossu, James F. Sarraco, David P.L. Toews, Clark S. Rushing, Amélie Roberto-Charron, Junior A. Tremblay, Richard B. Chandler, Matthew G. DeSaix, Cameron J. Fiss, Jeff L. Larkin, Samuel Haché, Silke Nebel, Kristen C. Ruegg, 2024, Molecular Ecology

A complex genomic architecture underlies reproductive isolation in a North American oriole hybrid zone

Jennifer Walsh, Shawn M. Billerman, Bronwyn G. Butcher, Vanya G. Rohwer, David P.L. Toews, Vicens Vila-Coury, Irby J. Lovette, 2023, Communications Biology

Whole genome assessment of a declining game bird reveals cryptic genetic structure and insights for population management

Leilton W. Luna, Lisa M. Williams, Kenneth Duren, Reina Tyl, David P.L. Toews, Julian D. Avery, 2023, Molecular Ecology on p. 5498-5513

Genomes of the extinct Bachman's warbler show high divergence and no evidence of admixture with other extant Vermivora warblers

Andrew W. Wood, Zachary A. Szpiech, Irby J. Lovette, Brian Tilston Smith, David Toews, 2023, Current Biology on p. 2823-2829.e4

Dispersal-Limited Symbionts Exhibit Unexpectedly Wide Variation in Host Specificity

Alix E. Matthews, Asela J. Wijeratne, Andrew D. Sweet, Fabio A. Hernandes, David P.L. Toews, Than J. Boves, 2023, Systematic Biology on p. 802-819

Most-Cited Papers

Plumage Genes and Little Else Distinguish the Genomes of Hybridizing Warblers

David P.L. Toews, Scott A. Taylor, Rachel Vallender, Alan Brelsford, Bronwyn G. Butcher, Philipp W. Messer, Irby J. Lovette, 2016, Current Biology on p. 2313-2318

The Evolution and Genetics of Carotenoid Processing in Animals

David P.L. Toews, Natalie R. Hofmeister, Scott A. Taylor, 2017, Trends in Genetics on p. 171-182

The Genetics of Seasonal Migration and Plumage Color

Kira E. Delmore, David P.L. Toews, Ryan R. Germain, Gregory L. Owens, Darren E. Irwin, 2016, Current Biology on p. 2167-2173

A comparison of genomic islands of differentiation across three young avian species pairs

Darren E. Irwin, Borja Milá, David P.L. Toews, Alan Brelsford, Haley L. Kenyon, Alison N. Porter, Christine Grossen, Kira E. Delmore, Miguel Alcaide, Jessica H. Irwin, 2018, Molecular Ecology on p. 4839-4855

Genomic approaches to understanding population divergence and speciation in birds

David P.L. Toews, Leonardo Campagna, Scott A. Taylor, Christopher N. Balakrishnan, Daniel T. Baldassarre, Petra E. Deane-Coe, Michael G. Harvey, Daniel M. Hooper, Darren E. Irwin, Caroline D. Judy, Nicholas A. Mason, John E. McCormack, Kevin G. McCracken, Carl H. Oliveros, Rebecca J. Safran, Elizabeth S.C. Scordato, Katherine Faust Stryjewski, Anna Tigano, J. Albert C. Uy, Benjamin M. Winger, 2015, Ornithology on p. 13-30

Current methods and future directions in avian diet analysis

Brandon Hoenig, Allison Snider, Anna Forsman, Keith Hobson, Steven Latta, Eliot Miller, Michael Polito, Luke Powell, Samantha Rogers, Thomas Sherry, Toews, David P. L., Andreanna Welch, Sabrina Taylor, Brady Porter, 2022, Ornithology

Genetics and evidence for balancing selection of a sex-linked colour polymorphism in a songbird

Kang Wook Kim, Benjamin C. Jackson, Hanyuan Zhang, David P.L. Toews, Scott A. Taylor, Emma I. Greig, Irby J. Lovette, Mengning M. Liu, Angus Davison, Simon C. Griffith, Kai Zeng, Terry Burke, 2019, Nature Communications on p. 1852

Selection on VPS13A linked to migration in a songbird

David P.L. Toews, Scott A. Taylor, Henry M. Streby, Gunnar R. Kramer, Irby J. Lovette, 2019, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on p. 18272-18274

Admixture mapping in a hybrid zone reveals loci associated with avian feather coloration

Alan Brelsford, David P.L. Toews, Darren E. Irwin, 2017, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences on p. 20171106

Genomic variation across the Yellow-rumped Warbler species complex

David P.L. Toews, Alan Brelsford, Christine Grossen, Borja Milá, Darren E. Irwin, 2016, Ornithology on p. 698-717

News Articles Featuring David Toews

Apr 16, 2025

Foraging on the wing: How can ecologically similar birds live together?

New study uses modern molecular and evolutionary techniques to reassess a foundational, 67-year-old study in warblers.

Full Article

Dec 11, 2024

Once-endangered Kirtland’s warblers show extensive signs of inbreeding in genome

The genome of a once-endangered songbird shows extensive signs of inbreeding, according to a new study by Penn State researchers.

Full Article

Sep 17, 2024

Chickadees Show How Species Boundaries Can Shift and Blur

When different chickadee species meet, they sometimes choose each other as mates—with surprising results

Full Article

May 22, 2024

Exhibition showcases art and science collaborations

An art exhibition showcasing recent collaborations in art and science will be on display in the Huck Life Sciences Building on May 30 and May 31 in conjunction with the One Health Microbiome Center Biennial Symposium.

Full Article

Mar 06, 2024

Penn State biologist David Toews receives 2024 NSF CAREER Award

David Toews, assistant professor of biology, has been honored with a Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award from the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Full Article

Oct 04, 2023

Ruffed grouse population more resilient than expected, genetic study finds

Despite decades of decline, a genetic analysis of ruffed grouse reveals that Pennsylvania’s state bird harbors more genetic diversity and connectivity than expected.

Full Article

Jun 23, 2023

Extinct warbler’s genome sequenced from museum specimens

The Bachman’s warbler, a songbird that was last seen in North America nearly 40 years ago, was a distinct species and not a hybrid of its two living sister species, according a new study in which the full genomes of seven museum specimens of the bird were sequenced.

Full Article

Nov 21, 2022

What shapes the composition of microbes in a warbler’s gut?

Differences among the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live within birds’ digestive tracts — their gut microbiomes — are not primarily driven by diet diversity, contrary to a recently proposed hypothesis.

Full Article

Oct 10, 2022

Researchers confirm a western Pa. birdwatcher's discovery: a new songbird hybrid

Penn State researchers have identified a rare hybrid of two western Pennsylvania songbirds. The bird is a combination of the rose-breasted grosbeak and brightly-colored scarlet tanager. Stephen Gosser—a self-described “diehard birder”— spotted it in Lawrence County, along the Commonwealth’s western edge, in June 2020.

Full Article

Oct 10, 2022

A rare hybrid bird found in western Pennsylvania

A pairing 10 million years in the making was discovered in the woods of western Pennsylvania. Researchers from Penn State University documented the first-ever hybrid of a rose-breasted grosbeak and scarlet tanager.

Full Article

Oct 05, 2022

Mysterious Bird Is the First-Ever Documented Hybrid of Its Kind

Here's a beautiful story for anyone who appreciates birds. A female rose-breasted grosbeak got together with a male scarlet tanager despite the bird species' preferences for dwelling in different habitats. Their offspring, a male, has now made ornithology history as the first-ever documented hybrid of its kind.

Full Article

Oct 05, 2022

Birdsong reveals rare hybrid coupling 10 million years in the making

A team of researchers led by Penn State was able to use a combination of genomic sequencing and song analysis to identify a rare hybrid bird whose ancestors haven’t shared the same breeding location or lineage for 10 million years.

Full Article

Jan 24, 2022

Penn State biologists explore the secrets of the warbler genome

Looking through binoculars at the trees in their backyards during the pandemic, many brand-new birders may have been surprised by the diversity of visitors stopping by — finches, jays and warblers in an astounding array of yellows, blues and reds.

Full Article

Jun 28, 2021

Weird warbler reveals genetics of its mismatched colors

An incredibly rare hybrid warbler with mismatched color patterns has allowed researchers to disentangle the genetic drivers of two traits that usually come as a package deal — the black face mask and the black throat patch in blue-winged and golden-winged warblers.

Full Article

Nov 30, 2020

Warbler coloration shaped by evolution via distinct paths

Two genes that are important for the diverse colors and patterns of warbler plumage have evolved through two very different processes, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. These evolutionary processes could help explain the rapid evolution of these songbirds into so many unique species.

Full Article

Sep 01, 2020

The Gene that Makes Female Birds Drab

In some finch species, the difference between colorful males and muted females comes down to one gene, BCO2, which encodes an enzyme that degrades carotenoids.

Full Article

Jul 14, 2020

What determines a warbler's colors?

A new study has narrowed down the region of the genome that drives the black color in throat and face of warblers by studying the hybrid offspring produced when two species mate.

Full Article

Oct 25, 2019

Bird Migration Is Written In Their Genes

A team of researchers has identified a single gene associated with migration in songbirds by combining whole genome sequencing with migration tracking technology for the first time ever

Full Article

Sep 04, 2019

New insights into genetic basis of bird migration

Genetics of bird migration also associated with neurological disorder in humans

Full Article

Aug 28, 2019

New insights into genetic basis of bird migration

A gene newly associated with the migratory patterns of golden-winged and blue-winged warblers could lend insight into the longstanding question of how birds migrate across such long distances.

Full Article

Apr 23, 2019

Varying head colors of Gouldian finches explained by unique evolutionary process

The heads of Gouldian finches feature one of three different colors: yellow, red and black. Now, scientists know why the pressures of natural selection have failed to erase the species' color variation.

Full Article

Mar 26, 2019

Toews receives early investigator award from American Ornithological Society

​David Toews, assistant professor of biology at Penn State, has been selected as the 2019 recipient of the Ned K. Johnson Early Investigator Award by the American Ornithological Society (AOS), an international society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of birds.

Full Article