Our research intends to provide answers to the basic questions of evolutionary theory and the understanding of the mechanisms of origin, preservation, change, and loss of biodiversity. We aim at understanding the evolutionary processes that shape patterns of genetic variation within and between species (gene flow, hybridization) and the genetic architecture that contributes strongly to the evolvability, speciation, and adaptation of terrestrial vertebrates (RF Biodiversity, Systematics and Evolution & RF Biodiversity and Climate). To address these objectives, we employ a combination of population and conservation genomic analyses with ecological field methodologies in natural animal populations.
In doing so, our work integrates contemporary approaches in taxonomy, systematics, and conservation biology (RF Biodiversity and Conservation), thereby contributing to a comprehensive understanding of biodiversity dynamics across ecological and evolutionary scales.
As a model system, we focus primarily on reptiles, with particular emphasis on chelonians, a diverse and increasingly threatened group. Their longevity, ecological diversity, and propensity for hybridization make them especially well suited for investigating the mechanisms of evolution and adaptation. Building on this rationale, we apply genomic and ecological approaches to taxa from the Western Palearctic and Sub-Saharan Africa, thereby linking fundamental evolutionary processes with pressing issues in biodiversity conservation.
