Biodiversity
Biodiversity is one of the rapidly expanding areas in biology. The foci of the Biodiversity Lab are to reveal how the immense diversity of organisms emerged over evolutionary time, how the diversity is maintained in current populations and how we should preserve the diversity for future generations.
To study the history of organisms on Earth, we use statistical phylogenetics, paleontology and molecular systematic, and to reveal drivers of behaviour in natural populations we use social network theory, sexual selection theory and behavioural ecology. Our conservation biological work ranges from global analyses of animals and their habitats to specific projects in Africa, Central America and the UK.
Our students and post-docs benefit from a vibrant and stimulating interdisciplinary environment. The theme has regular seminars, and we have visitors and collaborators on regular basis. We publish in leading international journals, and our works are funded by major UK, EU and foreign agencies.
Biodiversity research theme membership
Dr Robert Kelsh
Cell biology, genetics and systems biology of zebrafish neural crest development.
Dr Nick Priest
Evolution of complex traits in theory, experimental systems and nature.
Dr Alan Rayner
Natural inclusionality: the fluid boundary logic of evolutionary sustainability
Dr Simon Stuart
Chair of Species Survival Commission
Professor Tamas Szekely
Experimental and comparative analysis of sexual conflict and breeding systems in birds: conservation biology of shorebirds.
Professor Szekely's is involved in valuable conservation work with the Great Bustard Life Project.
Dr Matthew Wills
Palaeobiology, macroevolution and arthropod phylogeny.
