Phylogenomics of adaptive radiation of subterranean crustaceans

Cene Fišer

Adaptive radiation (AR) is among the most spectacular and the most complex models explaining the origin of biodiversity. In a broad sense, AR stands for a rapid monophyletic species proliferation accompanied by ecological diversification. ARs have been mostly studied in spatially and temporally explicit areas such as islands or lakes. Continental studies are rare and no study of AR was made in subterranean environments. In the proposed program we are filling this gap, and test for AR in subterranean environment on a continental scale using amphipod Niphargus as a model. We aim to develop phylogenomic hypothesis of genus Niphargus to 1) test whether Niphargus evolved through one or more adaptive radiations, 2) to test the predictability of course of adaptive radiation and 3) to explore the interaction among which intrinsic factors (species’ capacity to evolve), and extrinsic factors (unexploited ecological resources) yielded these radiations. This project is a collaborative research between Eawag, with prof. dr. Florian Altermatt and prof. dr. Ole Seehausen, University in Lyon with dr. Florian Malard and SubBio Lab team.

Slovenian Research Agency, project number J1-2464