Evolution und Biodiversity
Institute of Zoology | Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg & iDiv
Taken: April 2026 | Photographer: Stefan Bernhard
Welcome to the group "Evolution and Biodiversity"!
We study symbiont evolution, and focus on intracellular symbiotic Bacteria that are transmitted from mothers to offspring. Such specialised inherited symbionts are incredibly common in insects and we want to better understand what makes them so successful and diverse.
Current Projects:
- What makes a symbiont succeed? The role of host shifts in arthropod symbiont evolution.
- To kill or not to kill: Evolution of faculative male-killing Spiroplasma in Neotropical Drosophila.
- Dynamics of symbiont evolution across the psyllid tree of life .