Tel.: (089) 8107-115
- E-Mail: email@example.com
- At the ZSM since: 1.1.2009
- PhD project: Phylogeography of Comoran reptiles
I am a PhD student at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (Zoologische Staatssammlung München. The ZSM is part of the Bavarian Natural History Collections, the largest union of natural history institutions in Germany.
Phylogeography of Comoran reptiles:
The Comoros, a group of volcanic islands in the western Indian Ocean near Madagascar, are inhabited by many endemic reptile species. I attempt to reconstruct the colonization of these islands by different groups of reptiles (geckos, skinks, snakes) in geological history. I hope that these results will shed a light on the evolution of Malagasy reptiles, where molecular dating is often difficult due to the lack of geological calibration points. Additionally, I hope that the comparison of different taxa will allow us to test the reliability of molecular clock approaches. Finally, I assess the conservation status of Comoran reptiles, for which no hard data has been available so far.
(Section Herpetology; PhD project, doctoral fellowship according to BayEFG; field work funded by Mohamed bin Zayed species conservation grant to F. Glaw: 0925157; http://www.mbzspeciesconservation.org/)
Diversification of Australian Diving Beetles:
Australia is home to over 300 known species of diving beetles, 90% of which belong to endemic radiations. Through DNA barcoding and use of cybertaxonomy, we promote novel methods allowing the rapid detection even of morphologically cryptic of new species and open-access propagation of their descriptions. We employ molecular phylogenies and ecological niche modelling to delimit these species and research into speciation and radiation events.
(Section Coleoptera; DFG project to M. Balke: BA2152/7-1)
Barcoding Fauna Bavarica: