Evolutionary ecology bridges between two fundamental biological processes: ecology and evolution. It does so by looking at the small, continuous changes that occur in a population as a result of its ecological adaptation to an unstable environment; over large time scales, this process leads to macroevolutionary changes responsible of organismal diversification and the origin of novel species.
Aim of our group is understanding these first critical steps in animal diversification. We focused on several traits directly associated to the ecological adaptation, particularly the gut microbiota and life-history traits. Our model systems are the adaptive radiations of CICHLID FISHES from Africa and America and the BALEARIC LIZARD Podarcis lilfordi.
We use a broad range of approaches, including comparative metagenomics of host-associated microbial communities, genetics of natural populations, life-trait history analyses, and extensive multivariate statistics. Our theoretical framework builds on both ecological and evolutionary theories to develop a novel eco-evo paradigm.
We are based at the Ecology Unit, Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, University of Barcelona.
If you are interested in working with us, please contact me. We are always looking for enthusiastic people to join our team. There are a number of PhD and Postdoc fellowships available and we'll be happy to support your application!