Biodiversity Hotspots

Frugivory

We perform cutting-edge research in the fields of evolution, ecology, and conservation biology to understand the mechanisms that generate and maintain biodiversity in the world's Biodiversity Hotspots. These are regions that have extraordinarily high species richness and endemism, but also face increasing threat due to humans and climate change. We uncover the potential effects of past and imminent extinctions using phylogenetic, genomic, modelling and field approaches. With our work we aim to raise awareness of the importance of biodiversity protection in these unique systems and strengthen our international collaborations. 

Members
of this group

Our Research
themes & structure

We study macroevolutionary and macroecological patterns and the processes that shaped them through time. We focus on different Hotspot regions and taxonomic groups, including plants, birds, mammals, and fish, with focus on (oceanic) islands, Madagascar, Southeast Asian islands, mountain regions (e.g., Andes), the Atlantic Forest, and Mediterranean-type ecosystems (e.g., Cape Floristic Region).

Leading questions in our group, are:

● What causes the exceptional diversity found on continental and insular biodiversity hotspots?

● How do the key macroevolutionary processes of speciation, dispersal, trait evolution and extinction operate in these regions?

● How are anthropogenic extinctions disturbing the natural conditions of biodiversity hotspots?

● Can we predict the effects of extinction on the ecosystems of these regions in the Anthropocene?

island

Current
topics

A selection of the main topics we are working on.

Coquerel's Sifaka (Propithecus coquereli) in northern Madagascar © David Dennis

Human-caused extinctions on islands

Islands have experienced exceptionally high rates of extinction after human settlement: over 60% of documented terrestrial species extinctions were island endemics and the surviving island taxa are greatly over-represented on endangered species lists. For…
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A giant fruit tree

Megafauna and megafruit

Some plants have evolved very large 'megafaunal' fruits - similar in size to avocados and mangos. These megafaunal fruits may have evolved and adapted to dispersal by megafauna: large animals that feed on these fruits and thereby disperse the seeds – such…
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Bioko (Pau Enric Serra)

Evolution and biogeography of island birds

Birds are the most diverse vertebrate group on islands. They are also perhaps the best studied group on islands, as ornithological work has a long history and there is currently a very active community gathering data on distribution, ecology, traits and…
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Plant from Leucospermum genus

Trait evolution and convergence

Darwin’s second ‘abominable mystery’ targets the question why flowering plants (angiosperms) are so species-rich and ecologically successful, in particular compared to other plant clades (e.g. pteridophytes and gymnosperms). The repeated evolution of…
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Pulicaria canariensis

Island biogeography of Asteraceae

While birds and mammals have received most attention from island biologists, they actually pale in comparison with plants when it comes to insular diversification. Among plants, the most remarkable group from an island perspective are the daisies…
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Bird with fruit

Plant-animal interactions

Interactions between plants and animals are essential for the functioning of evosystems. Furthermore, via co-evolutionary dynamics, they may influence the emergence of new species and biodiversity. We focus on mutualistic and antagonistic interactions…
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