Publications

For the most current list see Google Scholar. * denotes equal contribution.

2026

• Reeb, H. R., Toomey, M. B., & Brown, C. R. (2026). A plumage patch signalling nest occupancy is shaped by social environment. Biology Letters 22(1). Publisher link →
• Patton, S. M., Koch, R. E., Zhang, Y., Toomey, M. B., & Hill, G. E. (2026). Captivity negatively affects production of red carotenoid pigments in Cardinalis cardinalis (Northern Cardinal). Ornithology ukag010. Publisher link →

2025

• Foster, T. N., Williamson, A. G., Foster, B. R., & Toomey, M. B. (2025). Light environment and seasonal variation in the visual system of the red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis). Journal of Experimental Biology 228(6): jeb249878. Publisher link →
• Koch, R. E., Truong, C. N., Reeb, H. R., Joski, B. H., Hill, G. E., Zhang, Y., & Toomey, M. B. (2025). Multiple pathways to red carotenoid coloration: House finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) do not use CYP2J19 to produce red plumage. Molecular Ecology e17744. Publisher link →
• Williams, B. L., Pintor, L. M., Toomey, M. B., & Gray, S. M. (2025). Intraspecific variation in color and carotenoids across environmental extremes in an African cichlid. Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology 98(2): 57–69. Publisher link →
• Liu, Y., Hurley, E. C., Ogawa, Y., Gause, M., Toomey, M. B., Myers, C. A., & Corbo, J. C. (2025). Avian photoreceptor homologies and the origin of double cones. Current Biology 35(10): 2215–2227.e6. Publisher link →
• Koch, R. E., Toomey, M. B., Zhang, Y., & Hill, G. E. (2025). Mechanisms of carotenoid metabolism: understanding the links between red coloration, cellular respiration, and individual quality. Integrative and Comparative Biology 65(2): 496–506. Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B., Koch, R. E., Liu, Y., Von Lintig, J., Corbo, J. C., Hill, G. E., & Zhang, Y. (2025). Substrates, intermediates, and products of avian ketocarotenoid metabolism. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA)—Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids 1870(6): 159654. Publisher link →

2024

• Koch, R. E., Okegbe, C., Ramanathan, C., Zhu, X., Hare, E., Toomey, M. B., Hill, G. E., & Zhang, Y. (2024). Captivity affects mitochondrial aerobic respiration and carotenoid metabolism in the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). Journal of Experimental Biology 227(9): jeb.246980. Publisher link →

2023

• Khalil, S., Enbody, E. D., Frankl-Vilches, C., Welklin, J. F., Koch, R. E., Toomey, M. B., Sin, S. Y. W., Edwards, S. V., Gahr, M., Schwabl, H., Webster, M. S., & Karubian, J. (2023). Testosterone coordinates gene expression across different tissues to produce carotenoid-based red ornamentation. Molecular Biology and Evolution 40: msad056. Publisher link →
• Buchheim, M., Silver, A., Johnson, H., Portman, R., and Toomey, M. B. (2023). The description of Haematococcus privus sp. nov. (Chlorophyceae, Chlamydomonadales) from North America. Algae 38(1): 1–22. Publisher link →

2022

• Toomey, M. B., Marques, C. A., Araújo, P. M., Huang, D., Zhong, S., Liu, Y., Schreiner, G. D., Myers, C. A., Pereira, P., Afonso, S., Andrade, P., Gazda, M. A., Lopes, R. J., Viegas, I., Koch, R. E., Haynes, M. E., Smith, D. J., Ogawa, Y., Murphy, D., Kopec, R. E., Parichy, D. M., Carniero, M., and Corbo, J. C. (2022). A mechanism for red coloration in vertebrates. Current Biology 32: 4201–4214.e12. Publisher link → See also: Dispatch — The biochemistry of honest sexual signaling
• Toomey, M. B., Smith, D. J., Gonzales, D. M. and McGraw, K. J. (2022). Methods for extracting and analyzing carotenoids from bird feathers. Methods in Enzymology 670: 459–497. Publisher link →

2021

• Huang, D., Lewis, V. M., Foster, T. N., Toomey, M. B., Corbo, J. C. and Parichy, D. M. (2021). Development and genetics of red coloration in the zebrafish relative Danio albolineatus. eLife 10: e70253. Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B. and Ronald, K. L. (2021). Avian color expression and perception: is there a carotenoid link? Journal of Experimental Biology 224: jeb.203844. Publisher link →

2020

• Gazda, M. A., Araújo, P. M., Lopes, R. J., Toomey, M. B., Andrade, P., Afonso, S., Marques, C., Nunes, L., Pereira, P., Trigo, S., Hill, G. E., Corbo, J. C., Carneiro, M. (2020). A genetic mechanism for sexual dichromatism in birds. Science 368: 1270–1274. Publisher link → See also: Perspective — A gene for color differences between sexes
• Gazda*, M. A., Toomey*, M. B., Araújo, P. M., Lopes, R. J., Afonso, S., Myers, C. A., Serres, K., Kiser, P. D., Hill, G. E., Corbo, J. C., and Carneiro, M. (2020). Genetic basis of de novo appearance of carotenoid ornamentation in bare parts of canaries. Molecular Biology and Evolution 37: 1317–1328. *contributed equally Publisher link →

2019

• Saunders, L. M., Mishra, A. K., Aman, A. J., Lewis, V. M., Toomey, M. B., Packer, J. S., Qiu, X., McFaline-Figueroa, J. L., Corbo, J. C., Trapnell, C., and Parichy, D. M. (2019). Thyroid hormone regulates distinct paths to maturation in pigment cell lineages. eLife 8: e45181. Publisher link →
• Koch, R. E., Staley, M., Kavazis, A. N., Hasselquist, D., Toomey, M. B. and Hill, G. E. (2019). Testing the resource trade-off hypothesis for carotenoid-based signal honesty using genetic variants of the domestic canary. Journal of Experimental Biology 222(6): jeb188102. Publisher link →

2018

• Toomey, M. B., Marques, C. I., Andrade, P., Araújo, P. M., Sabatino, S., Gazda, M. A., Afonso, S., Lopes, R. J., Corbo, J. C. and Carneiro, M. (2018). A non-coding region near Follistatin controls head colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Publisher link →
• Giraudeau, M., Toomey, M. B., Hutton, P. and McGraw, K. J. (2018). Expression of and choice for condition-dependent carotenoid-based color in an urbanizing context. Behavioral Ecology 29: 1307–1315. Publisher link →
• Koch, R. E., Kavazis, A., Hasselquist, D., Hood, W., Zhang, Y., Toomey, M. B., Hill, G. E. (2018). No evidence that carotenoid pigments boost either immune or antioxidant defenses in a songbird. Nature Communications 9: 491. Publisher link →

2017

• Toomey, M. B. & Corbo, J. C. (2017). Evolution, development and function of vertebrate cone oil droplets. Frontiers in Neural Circuits 11: 97. Publisher link →
• Morshedian, A.*, Toomey, M. B.*, Pollock, G. E., Frederiksen, R., Enright, J. M., McCormick, S. D., Cornwall, M. C., Fain, G. L., Corbo, J. C. (2017). Cambrian origin of the CYP27C1-mediated vitamin A1-to-A2 switch, the gateway to spawning migration in vertebrates. Royal Society Open Science 4: 170362. *contributed equally Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B., Lopes, R. J., Araújo, P. M., Johnson, J. D., Gazda, M. A., Afonso, S., Mota, P. G., Koch, R. E., Hill, G. E., Corbo, J. C., Carneiro, M. (2017). High-density lipoprotein receptor SCARB1 is required for carotenoid coloration in birds. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Publisher link →
• Mitkus, M., Olsson, P., Toomey, M. B., Corbo, J. C., & Kelber, A. (2017). Specialized photoreceptor composition in the raptor fovea. Journal of Comparative Physiology A. Publisher link →

2016

• Toomey, M. B., Lind, O., Frederiksen, R., Curley, R. W., Riedle, K. M., Wilby, D., Schwartz, S. J., Witt, C. C., Harrison, E. H., Roberts, N. W., Vorobyev, M., McGraw, K. J., Cornwall, M. C., Kelber, A., Corbo, J. C. (2016). Complementary shifts in photoreceptor spectral tuning unlock the full adaptive potential of ultraviolet vision in birds. eLife 5: e15675. Publisher link →
• Kramlinger, V. M., Nagy, L. D., Fujiwara, R., Johnson, K. M., Phan, T. T. N., Xiao, Y., Enright, J. M., Toomey, M. B., Corbo, J. C., Guengerich, F. P. (2016). Human cytochrome P450 27C1 catalyzes 3,4-desaturation of retinoids. FEBS Letters. Publisher link →
• Lopes, R. J.*, Johnson, J. D.*, Toomey, M. B.*, Ferreira, M., Melo-Ferreira, J., Andersson, L., Hill, G. E., Corbo, J. C., Carneiro, M. (2016). Genetic basis for red coloration in birds. Current Biology 26: 1427–1434. *contributed equally Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B. & McGraw, K. J. (2016). The effects of sun exposure on carotenoid accumulation and oxidative stress in the retina of the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus). Avian Research 7: 7. Publisher link →

2015

• Toomey, M. B., Collins, A. M., Frederiksen, R., Cornwall, M. C., Timlin, J. A., Corbo, J. C. (2015). A complex carotenoid palette tunes avian colour vision. Journal of the Royal Society Interface. Publisher link →
• Wilby, D., Toomey, M. B., Olsson, P., Frederiksen, R., Cornwall, M. C., Oulton, R., Kelber, A., Corbo, J. C., Roberts, N. W. (2015). Optics of cone photoreceptors in the chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus). Journal of the Royal Society Interface 12: 20150591. Publisher link →
• Enright, J. M., Toomey, M. B., Sato, S., Temple, S. E., Allen, J. R., Fujiwara, R., Kramlinger, V. M., Nagy, L. D., Johnson, K. M., Xiao, Y., How, M. J., Johnson, S. L., Roberts, N. W., Kefalov, V. J., Guengerich, F. P., Corbo, J. C. (2015). Cyp27c1 red-shifts the spectral sensitivity of photoreceptors by converting vitamin A1 into A2. Current Biology 25: 3048–3057. Publisher link →
• Giraudeau, M., Chavez, A., Toomey, M. B., and McGraw, K. J. (2015). Effects of carotenoid supplementation and oxidative challenges on physiological parameters and carotenoid-based coloration. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. Publisher link →

2013

• McGraw, K. J., Giraudeau, M., Toomey, M. B., and Staley, M. (2013). Ketocarotenoid circulation, but not retinal carotenoid accumulation, is linked to eye disease status in a wild songbird. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Publisher link →

2012

• Toomey, M. B. & McGraw, K. J. (2012). Mate choice for a male carotenoid-based ornament is linked to female dietary carotenoid intake and accumulation. BMC Evolutionary Biology 12: 3. Publisher link →
• Behbahaninia, H., Butler, M. W., Toomey, M. B., McGraw, K. J. (2012). Food color preferences against a dark, textured background vary in relation to sex and age in house finches. Ethology. Publisher link →
• Giraudeau, M., Toomey, M. B., and McGraw, K. J. (2012). Can house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) use non-visual cues to discriminate the carotenoid content of foods? Journal of Comparative Psychology. Publisher link →

2011

• Toomey, M. B. & McGraw, K. J. (2011). The effects of dietary carotenoid supplementation and retinal carotenoid accumulation on vision-mediated foraging in the house finch. PLOS ONE 6: e21653. Publisher link →
• Butler, M. W., Toomey, M. B., McGraw, K. J., and Rowe, M. (2011). Ontogenetic immune challenges shape adult personality in mallard ducks. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 278: 2645–2652. Publisher link →
• Smith, C. L., Toomey, M. B., Walker, B. R., Braun, E. J., Wolf, B. O., McGraw, K. J., Sweazea, K. L. (2011). Naturally high plasma glucose levels in mourning doves (Zenaida macroura) do not lead to high levels of oxidative damage. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Publisher link →
• Butler, M. W., Toomey, M. B., and McGraw, K. J. (2011). How many color metrics do we need? Evaluating how different color-scoring procedures explain carotenoid pigment content in avian bare-part and integumentary ornaments. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 65: 401–409. Publisher link →

2010

• Toomey, M. B. & McGraw, K. J. (2010). The effects of dietary carotenoid intake on carotenoid accumulation in the retina of a wild bird, the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 500: 205–211. Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B., Butler, M. W., and McGraw, K. J. (2010). Immune-system activation depletes retinal carotenoids in house finches. Journal of Experimental Biology 213: 1047–1053. Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B., Butler, M. W., Meadows, M. G., Taylor, L. A., Fokidis, H. B., and McGraw, K. J. (2010). A novel method for quantifying the glossiness of animals. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 65: 259–271. Publisher link →
• McGraw, K. J. and Toomey, M. B. (2010). Carotenoid accumulation in the tissues of zebra finches: predictors of integumentary pigmentation and implications for carotenoid metabolism. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. Publisher link →

2009

• Bascuñan, A. L., Tourville, E. A., Toomey, M. B., and McGraw, K. J. (2009). Food color preferences of molting house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus). Ethology. Publisher link →
• Meadows, M. G., Butler, M. W., Morehouse, N. I., Taylor, L. A., Toomey, M. B., McGraw, K. J. & Rutowski, R. L. (2009). Iridescence: views from many angles. Journal of the Royal Society Interface 6: S107–S113. Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B. & McGraw, K. J. (2009). Seasonal, sexual, and quality related variation in retinal carotenoid accumulation in the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus). Functional Ecology 23: 321–329. Publisher link →

2007

• Toomey, M. B. & McGraw, K. J. (2007). Modified saponification and HPLC methods for analyzing carotenoids from Japanese quail retina: implications for its use as a nondietary carotenoid model. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 48: 3177–3183. Publisher link →
• McGraw, K. J., Toomey, M. B., Nolan, P. M., Morehouse, N. I., Massaro, M., & Jouventin, P. (2007). A description of unique fluorescent yellow pigments in penguin feathers. Pigment Cell Research 20: 301–304. Publisher link →
• Toomey, M. B., Bowman, R., & Woolfenden, G. E. (2007). The effects of social context on food handling behavior of Florida Scrub-Jays. Ethology 113: 747–754. Publisher link →

2002

• Toomey, M. B., McCabe, D., & Marsden, J. E. (2002). Factors affecting the movement of adult zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha). Journal of the North American Benthological Society 21: 468–475. Publisher link →