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How are species formed, and
how do they persist in a changing environment?
Our research group investigates these questions using a variety of hybridizing taxa. We aim to understand: 1) how current patterns of biodiversity have been shaped by past climate cycles, 2) how phenotypic and genetic diversity is maintained today, and 3) how genetic diversity can help species adapt to future environmental changes.

Hybridization and Speciation

Latest Research projects

Adaptive introgression in invasive slugs

Image by Wolfgang Hasselmann

Wolfgang Hasselmann @unsplash

Why are some invasive species more successful than others?
 
Theoretical work predicts that during a species invasion, genes from a native species often move into the genome of the invasive species, potentially facilitating its adaptation to local environmental conditions. Such asymmetric...

Team: Ricardo J Pereira (SMNS), Niloofar Alaei Kakhki (SMNS), Ira Richling (SMNS), John M. C. Hutchinson (Senckenberg), Heike Reise (Senckenberg).

Latest Publications

Integration of genomic and ecological methods inform management of an undescribed, yet highly exploited, sardine species.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 2024. 
Jéssica F. R. Coelho,..., Julia T. Verba and Ricardo J. Pereira

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