Research

Rapid evolution of alien species

Alien or non-native species represent unparalleled evolutionary experiments. They allow us to investigate how species deal with rapid change, i.e. how alien species deal with their novel habitat. At the same time, we can learn much about colonisation and the very beginnings of speciation. At present, I am working with crabs as a group of very successful invaders, specifically the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis Milne-Edwards). I sequence historical crabs from museums ("museomics") to reconstruct evolution in action.

Publications

Extinction & evolution

While many species extinctions are human-mediated, the evolutionary mechanisms underlying especially marine and aquatic extinctions are not well understood. I sequence historical specimens from natural history collections ("museomics") to study the genomic changes preceding decline and extinction. My current focus is on the European oyster (Ostrea edulis L.), which went extinct in the Wadden Sea a century ago.

Comparative life history evolution

Comparative methods are a powerful tool to infer large-scale adaptive patterns. They help us understand the general rules that have shaped biodiversity. I utilise comparative methods in many contexts, but my longstanding interests is life history and reproductive evolution in marine invertebrates such as crabs, barnacles, mussels and snails.

Evolution across environmental gradients

Environmental change drives evolution, but how adaptive and neutral processes interact to shape the current distribution of species is not well understood. Using the relatively young (ca. 10,000y) North Sea - Baltic Sea region with its strong salinity gradient as a natural experiment, I test how and if marine invertebrates have adapted to the brackish water conditions.

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