adaptation genomics, population genomics, myrmecology

I am intrigued by the possibilities of using large genomic datasets to retrace ancient and recent evolutionary events that have led to speciation and the emergence of new and adaptive phenotypes. More specifically in my case, the phenotypes of ants. The ants are one of the most diverse animal lineages on this planet and they show an absolutely remarkable diversity in terms of phenotype, niche specialization, and life history. One of my research focuses currently lies on the evolution of social parasitism in leaf-cutting ants, where I compare the genomes of several convergently evolved social parasite species with their closely related host species. Despite the recent divergence, the phenotypic differences between hosts and parasites are substantial and we have already found evidence for convergent gene loss and other genomic changes in the parasites. A second major focus of my work lies in understanding the genetic and genomic mechanisms that allow the rapid adaptation of populations and species to changing environments. For this, I use the invasive and wide-spread ant species Cardiocondyla obscurior as a laboratory model to study how transposable elements, cryptic genetic variation and phenotypic plasticity can bring forward novel and adaptive changes on the phenotypic level.