Dr Virginia Harvey
Lecturer in Zoology
I am a zoologist who harnesses modern and archaeological data to capture how humans have impacted our planet through time and into the modern day. I specialise in analysing preserved proteins from modern and ancient tissues to unlock species identification, with a particular interest in fishes and other aquatic vertebrates.
My current research focusses on the development of biomolecular tools, such as protein analyses, in identifying and tracing animal products. I am particularly passionate about using these molecular tools in the area of wildlife crime and forensics, food fraud and invasive species monitoring.
I have worked as a postdoctoral researcher at The University of York where I specialised in ancient biomolecule extraction and analysis from archaeological artefacts. Here, I explored protein extraction and analysis techniques to find ways of minimising sample destruction, whilst maximising protein yield.
Previous to this, I completed an MPhil and a PhD at the University of Manchester where my research addressed the use of biomolecular methods in the study of human impacts on biodiversity through time, focussing on both terrestrial and aquatic species.
I teach a range of subjects, from genetics and evolution, to wildlife crime and conservation.
I am interested in hearing from undergraduate and postgraduate students about opportunities to study protein analysis and its application to wildlife forensics and conservation.
My current research focusses on the development of biomolecular tools, such as protein analysis, in identifying and tracing animal products, with a particular interest in wildlife crime, food fraud and invasive species monitoring.
Buckley, M., Harvey, V.L., Petiffer, D., Russ, H., Wouters, W. and Van Neer, W., 2022. Medieval fish remains on the Newport ship identified by ZooMS collagen peptide mass fingerprinting. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences, 14(3), pp.1-11. (Impact factor: 1.9).
Harvey, V.L., Keating, J.N. and Buckley, M., 2021. Phylogenetic analyses of ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) using collagen type I protein sequences. Royal Society Open Science, 8(8), p.201955. (Impact factor: 2.6).
Brown, S., Wang, N., Oertle, A., Kozlikin, M.B., Shunkov, M.V., Derevianko, A.P., Comeskey, D., Jope-Street, B., Harvey, V.L., Chowdhury, M.P. and Buckley, M., 2021. Zooarchaeology through the lens of collagen fingerprinting at Denisova Cave. Scientific Reports, 11(1), pp.1-10. (Impact factor: 4.4).
Procopio, N., Hopkins, R.J.A., Harvey, V.L. and Buckley, M., 2021. Proteome variation with collagen yield in ancient bone. Journal of Proteome Research, 20(3), pp.1754-1769. (Impact factor: 4.1).
Harvey, V.L., Wogelius, R.A., Manning, P.L. and Buckley, M., 2021. Experimental taphonomy of fish bone from warm and cold water species: Testing the effects of amino acid composition on collagen breakdown in modern fish bone using thermal maturation experiments. Journal of Archaeological Science, 126, p.105318. (Impact factor: 3.0).
Buckley, M., Harvey, V.L., Orihuela J., Mychajliw A.M., Hadly, E.A., Almonte Milan, J.N., Lawless, C, Chamberlain A.T, Egerton, V.M., Keating, J.K. and Manning, P.L., 2020. Collagen sequence analysis reveals evolutionary history of extinct West Indies island shrews (Nesophontes). Molecular Biology and Evolution. (Impact factor: 14.8)
Rick, T., Harvey, V.L. and Buckley, M., 2019. Collagen fingerprinting and the Chumash billfish fishery, Santa Barbara Channel, California, USA. Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences. (Impact factor: 2.0)
Harvey, V.L., LeFebvre, M.J., deFrance, S.D., Toftgaard, C., Drosou, K., Kitchener, A.C. and Buckley, M., 2019. Preserved collagen reveals species identity in archaeological marine turtle bones from Caribbean and Florida sites. Royal Society Open Science, 6(10), p.191137. (Impact factor: 2.6).
Anné, J., Edwards, N.P., Brigidi, F., Gueriau, P., Harvey, V.L., Geraki, K., Slimak, L., Buckley, M. and Wogelius, R.A., 2019. Advances in bone preservation: Identifying possible collagen preservation using sulfur speciation mapping. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 520, pp.181-187. (Impact factor: 3.6).
Harvey, V.L., Egerton, V.M., Chamberlain, A.T., Manning, P.L., Sellers, W.I. and Buckley, M., 2019. Interpreting the historical terrestrial vertebrate biodiversity of Cayman Brac (Greater Antilles, Caribbean) through collagen fingerprinting. The Holocene, 29(4), pp.531-542. (Impact factor: 2.5).
Harvey, V.L., Daugnora, L. and Buckley, M., 2018. Species identification of ancient Lithuanian fish remains using collagen fingerprinting. Journal of Archaeological Science, 98, pp.102-111. (Impact factor: 3.0).
Anné, J., Wogelius, R.A., Edwards, N.P., Van Veelen, A., Buckley, M., Sellers, W.I., Bergmann, U., Sokaras, D., Alonso-Mori, R., Harvey, V.L. and Egerton, V.M., 2018. Morphological and chemical evidence for cyclic bone growth in a fossil hyaena. Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, 33(12), pp.2062-2069. (Impact factor: 2.5).
Buckley, M., Harvey, V.L. and Chamberlain, A.T., 2017. Species identification and decay assessment of Late Pleistocene fragmentary vertebrate remains from Pin Hole Cave (Creswell Crags, UK) using collagen fingerprinting. Boreas, 46(3), pp.402-411. (Impact factor: 3.5).
Harvey, V.L., Egerton, V.M., Chamberlain, A.T., Manning, P.L. and Buckley, M., 2016. Collagen fingerprinting: a new screening technique for radiocarbon dating ancient bone. PLoS One, 11(3), p.e0150650.
- PhD in Earth Science (Biomolecular Archaeology), University of Manchester
Thesis title: “Collagen fingerprinting: Sequence evolution, species identification, and unlocking past trends in marine biodiversity.”
- MPhil in Archaeology and Palaeoecology; University of Manchester
Thesis title: “Proteomic analyses of sub-fossil vertebrate remains from the Cayman Islands (Caribbean).”
- BSc (Hons) in Zoology with Marine Zoology, The University of Wales, Bangor