Personal Information
Dennis McCarthy has published papers on a wide variety of subjects, including
geophysics, biogeography, and English literature. In a 2007 paper in The Journal
of Geophysical Research, McCarthy generated widespread acclaim when he
became the first researcher to provide the correct explanation for the lopsided
ocean-continent distribution of the Earth. Specifically, the paper explained why the
Southern Hemisphere is so oceanic while the Northern Hemisphere is crowded
with continental crust. This became the subject of a number of news reports
throughout the world, and Der Spiegel, the largest news magazine in Europe,
devoted a large article ( English translation) to this JGR paper. In his most recent
paper for Oxford's journal of literary scholarship, Notes and Queries, McCarthy
became the first researcher to find the long-sought source for Hamlet's famous "To
Be or Not to Be" Soliloquy.
McCarthy is currently a research associate at the Buffalo Museum of Science and is
on the editorial board of Biogeography & Systematics.
Dennis McCarthy has published papers on a wide variety of subjects, including
geophysics, biogeography, and English literature. In a 2007 paper in The Journal
of Geophysical Research, McCarthy generated widespread acclaim when he
became the first researcher to provide the correct explanation for the lopsided
ocean-continent distribution of the Earth. Specifically, the paper explained why the
Southern Hemisphere is so oceanic while the Northern Hemisphere is crowded
with continental crust. This became the subject of a number of news reports
throughout the world, and Der Spiegel, the largest news magazine in Europe,
devoted a large article ( English translation) to this JGR paper. In his most recent
paper for Oxford's journal of literary scholarship, Notes and Queries, McCarthy
became the first researcher to find the long-sought source for Hamlet's famous "To
Be or Not to Be" Soliloquy.
McCarthy is currently a research associate at the Buffalo Museum of Science and is
on the editorial board of Biogeography & Systematics.
The Fourth Revolt
Papers
Dennis McCarthy, D. A ‘Sea of Troubles’ and a ‘Pilgrimage Uncertain’ / Dial of Princes as
the Source for Hamlet's Soliloquy, Notes and Queries, Advance Access published on March
13, 2009. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjn242
McCarthy, D. (2007) Geophysical explanation for the disparity in spreading rates between
the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, B03410,
doi:10.1029/2006JB004535. The paper also includes a brief and
simple video that helps summarize the basic points of the paper .
McCarthy, D. (2007) Sir Thomas North as Sir John Daw, Notes & Queries, 54(3), 321-4.
McCarthy, D. (2007) Thomas North was the "T.N." who prefaced Belleforest's "Tragical
Hystories," Notes & Queries, 54(3), 244-8.
McCarthy, D. (2005) Biogeographical and geological evidence for a smaller, completely-
enclosed Pacific Basin in the Late Cretaceous. Journal of Biogeography, 32, 2161-2177.
McCarthy, D. (2005) Biogeography and scientific revolutions. The Systematist, 25, 3-12.
McCarthy, D. (2003) The trans-Pacific zipper effect: disjunct sister taxa and matching
geological outlines that link the Pacific margins. Journal of Biogeography, 30, 1545-1561.
Book Chapters
McCarthy, D. (2006), Are plate tectonic explanations for trans-Pacific disjunctions
plausible? Empirical tests of radical dispersalist theories, in Biogeography in a Changing
World, edited by Ebach, M.C. and Tangney, R., Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, Florida.
Lectures
McCarthy, D. (2005) "Vicariance in the Pacific." Fifth biennial conference of the Systematics
Association, presented by Cardiff University and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales.
Email Address: DennisMcCarthy@4threvolt.com
Dennis McCarthy, D. A ‘Sea of Troubles’ and a ‘Pilgrimage Uncertain’ / Dial of Princes as
the Source for Hamlet's Soliloquy, Notes and Queries, Advance Access published on March
13, 2009. doi:10.1093/notesj/gjn242
McCarthy, D. (2007) Geophysical explanation for the disparity in spreading rates between
the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Journal of Geophysical Research, 112, B03410,
doi:10.1029/2006JB004535. The paper also includes a brief and
simple video that helps summarize the basic points of the paper .
McCarthy, D. (2007) Sir Thomas North as Sir John Daw, Notes & Queries, 54(3), 321-4.
McCarthy, D. (2007) Thomas North was the "T.N." who prefaced Belleforest's "Tragical
Hystories," Notes & Queries, 54(3), 244-8.
McCarthy, D. (2005) Biogeographical and geological evidence for a smaller, completely-
enclosed Pacific Basin in the Late Cretaceous. Journal of Biogeography, 32, 2161-2177.
McCarthy, D. (2005) Biogeography and scientific revolutions. The Systematist, 25, 3-12.
McCarthy, D. (2003) The trans-Pacific zipper effect: disjunct sister taxa and matching
geological outlines that link the Pacific margins. Journal of Biogeography, 30, 1545-1561.
Book Chapters
McCarthy, D. (2006), Are plate tectonic explanations for trans-Pacific disjunctions
plausible? Empirical tests of radical dispersalist theories, in Biogeography in a Changing
World, edited by Ebach, M.C. and Tangney, R., Taylor and Francis, CRC Press, Florida.
Lectures
McCarthy, D. (2005) "Vicariance in the Pacific." Fifth biennial conference of the Systematics
Association, presented by Cardiff University and the National Museum and Gallery of Wales.
Email Address: DennisMcCarthy@4threvolt.com
Latest News: Dennis McCarthy's book, Here Be Dragons / How the study of
animal and plant distributions revolutionized our views of life and Earth [Oxford
University Press] is now available at bookstores and at Amazon. McCarthy has
also recently completed a revolutionary work on Shakespeare, which will soon be
submitted for representation and publication.
animal and plant distributions revolutionized our views of life and Earth [Oxford
University Press] is now available at bookstores and at Amazon. McCarthy has
also recently completed a revolutionary work on Shakespeare, which will soon be
submitted for representation and publication.
Reviews of "Here Be Dragons"
"It's a grand time-and-space voyage of the imagination, the drift of continents,
the appearance and rise and fall and extinction of new species, the human
story with all its tragedy and complexity... At this Christmas time comes a
wonderful little book by the biogeographer Dennis McCarthy. In less than 200
pages you can travel with him through time and space to discover the
panorama of geologic change producing biodiversity -- the marvelous story of
how life on Earth has always been bonded to the history of Earth's crust. Read
this one, a great pleasure, and if geologic time and space in the history of life
are new for you, at the end of the book you will be someone different."
--Dan Agin, Here Be Dragons / Book Review, Huffington Post
"If you want to know why the natural world is the way it is, this is an excellent
place to start... I would advise anyone to read this informative, silkily written
book."
-- Jonathan Wright, Geographical, 2/10, p. 63
"McCarthy's instinct to blend areas of scientific study traditionally divided by
academic specialization is as refreshing as it is insightful..."
--Christopher Lloyd, London Times Literary Supplement, 12/4/09, p. 26.
"McCarthy infuses his account of life on Earth with a sense of wonder and
excitement. In succinct, colorful prose he invites the reader to marvel at the
intricacy, implacability and exquisite beauty of biogeography....
"The book abounds with fascinating creatures, their characteristics traced
through the inevitable, astonishing precision of evolution. He imbues his
subject with an infectious sense of drama, tragedy and beauty — an approach
that arises naturally from an author whose next book centers on Shakespeare.
"This is a fascinating, accessible work, which offers a new, more complete
perspective on the world we live in. McCarthy packs a tremendous amount in
200 pages but his writing skill is such that the reader never feels overwhelmed
and turns each page with as much entertainment as enlightenment.
"Chapter notes are especially helpful to those inspired to read further. Fans of
Jared Diamond or Richard Dawkins will be fans of the eloquent Dennis
McCarthy."
--Lynn Harnett, Portsmouth Herald (Seacoast Sunday), 1/10/10
"What a fabulous read, clearly reasoned and beautifully written."
--Rodman Philbrick, author of "Freak the Mighty" (the source for the film,
"The Mighty,"starring Sharon Stone)
"This book's aim is to put biogeography - the study of the distribution of
biodiversity over time - centre stage as a unifying principle of modern biology,
establishing it as both a key discipline that led to modern evolutionary theory
and as an elucidator of evolution's processes. It succeeds nobly....[T]he
science is firm and buttressed with a pleasant combination of painstaking
detail and infectious enthusiasm."
--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist, 1/27/2010
"Biogeography may sound like one of those obscure subdivisions of science
best left to the experts, but Dennis McCarthy is the most eloquent advocate for
his specialist theme. In this excellent book, he makes a convincing case that
the subject is central to our understanding of how life evolved...
"With a knowledge of Earth history at his disposal, a precision and clarity
reminiscent of other great science popularizers, and a courteous tone to
smooth out any stubborn complexities, McCarthy makes biogeography into a
story that is both intelligible and compelling."
--Mark Cocker, BBC Wildlife Magazine, 28(1), 2010.
"It's a grand time-and-space voyage of the imagination, the drift of continents,
the appearance and rise and fall and extinction of new species, the human
story with all its tragedy and complexity... At this Christmas time comes a
wonderful little book by the biogeographer Dennis McCarthy. In less than 200
pages you can travel with him through time and space to discover the
panorama of geologic change producing biodiversity -- the marvelous story of
how life on Earth has always been bonded to the history of Earth's crust. Read
this one, a great pleasure, and if geologic time and space in the history of life
are new for you, at the end of the book you will be someone different."
--Dan Agin, Here Be Dragons / Book Review, Huffington Post
"If you want to know why the natural world is the way it is, this is an excellent
place to start... I would advise anyone to read this informative, silkily written
book."
-- Jonathan Wright, Geographical, 2/10, p. 63
"McCarthy's instinct to blend areas of scientific study traditionally divided by
academic specialization is as refreshing as it is insightful..."
--Christopher Lloyd, London Times Literary Supplement, 12/4/09, p. 26.
"McCarthy infuses his account of life on Earth with a sense of wonder and
excitement. In succinct, colorful prose he invites the reader to marvel at the
intricacy, implacability and exquisite beauty of biogeography....
"The book abounds with fascinating creatures, their characteristics traced
through the inevitable, astonishing precision of evolution. He imbues his
subject with an infectious sense of drama, tragedy and beauty — an approach
that arises naturally from an author whose next book centers on Shakespeare.
"This is a fascinating, accessible work, which offers a new, more complete
perspective on the world we live in. McCarthy packs a tremendous amount in
200 pages but his writing skill is such that the reader never feels overwhelmed
and turns each page with as much entertainment as enlightenment.
"Chapter notes are especially helpful to those inspired to read further. Fans of
Jared Diamond or Richard Dawkins will be fans of the eloquent Dennis
McCarthy."
--Lynn Harnett, Portsmouth Herald (Seacoast Sunday), 1/10/10
"What a fabulous read, clearly reasoned and beautifully written."
--Rodman Philbrick, author of "Freak the Mighty" (the source for the film,
"The Mighty,"starring Sharon Stone)
"This book's aim is to put biogeography - the study of the distribution of
biodiversity over time - centre stage as a unifying principle of modern biology,
establishing it as both a key discipline that led to modern evolutionary theory
and as an elucidator of evolution's processes. It succeeds nobly....[T]he
science is firm and buttressed with a pleasant combination of painstaking
detail and infectious enthusiasm."
--Adrian Barnett, New Scientist, 1/27/2010
"Biogeography may sound like one of those obscure subdivisions of science
best left to the experts, but Dennis McCarthy is the most eloquent advocate for
his specialist theme. In this excellent book, he makes a convincing case that
the subject is central to our understanding of how life evolved...
"With a knowledge of Earth history at his disposal, a precision and clarity
reminiscent of other great science popularizers, and a courteous tone to
smooth out any stubborn complexities, McCarthy makes biogeography into a
story that is both intelligible and compelling."
--Mark Cocker, BBC Wildlife Magazine, 28(1), 2010.
"Read this one, a great
pleasure, and...at the end
of the book you will be
someone different."
--Dan Agin, "Here Be Dragons/
Book Review," Huffington Post
pleasure, and...at the end
of the book you will be
someone different."
--Dan Agin, "Here Be Dragons/
Book Review," Huffington Post