“Caves are natural laboratories for evolution"
My principal research interest is in evolution, adaptation, and speciation in subterranean environment. I combine field surveys and traditional taxonomy with molecular and biometric approaches to answer evolutionary questions regarding correlations between subterranean habitats and adaptive features of cave beetles.
Keywords
evolution, borneo, biodiversity, systematics, biospeleology, cave beetles, dinaric mountains
Researchinterest
My principal research interest is in evolution, adaptation, and speciation in subterranean environment. I combine field surveys and traditional taxonomy with molecular and biometric approaches to answer evolutionary questions regarding correlations between subterranean habitats and adaptive features of cave beetles.
My future research plans are to continue working in the field of subterranean biology, but to broaden the scope of my research by looking for global patterns of evolution and radiation in subterranean environment. Additionally, I have a particular interest in doing alpha taxonomy and biodiversity research in Asia.
Currenttopics
A selection of the topics I am working on currently.
Keypublications
- Njunjić I., Perrard A., Hendriks K., Schilthuizen M., Perreau M., Merckx V.S.F.T., Baylac M., Derharveng L. 2018. Comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the Anthroherpon radiation (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Leptodirini). PLOS ONE 13: e0198367.
- Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Saavedra S. 2017. Fungal‐host diversity among mycoheterotrophic plants increases proportionally to their fungal‐host overlap. Ecology and Evolution 7: 3623-3630.
- Jacquemyn H., Waud M., Merckx V.S.F.T., Brys R., Tyteca D., Hedrén M., Lievens B. 2016. Habitat-driven variation in mycorrhizal communities in the terrestrial orchid genus Dactylorhiza. Scientific Reports 6: 37182.
- Merckx V.S.F.T., Hendriks K.P., Beentjes K.K., Mennes C.B., Becking L.E., Peijnenburg K.T.C.A., Afendy A., Arumugam N., de Boer H., Biun A., Buang M.M., Chen P.-P., Chung A.Y.C., Dow R., Feijen F.A.A., Feijen H., Feijen-van Soest C, Geml J., Geurts R., Gravendeel B., Hovenkamp P., Imbun P., Ipor I., Janssens S.B., Jocqué M. Kappes H., Khoo E., Koomen P., Lens F., Majapun R.J., Morgado L.N., Neupane S., Nieser N., Pereira J.T., Rahman H., Sabran S., Sawang A., Schwallier R.M., Shim P.-S., Smit H., Sol N., Spait M., Stech M., Stokvis F., Sugau J.B., Suleiman M., Sumail S., Thomas D.C., van Tol J., Tuh F.Y.Y., Yahya B.E., Nais J., Repin R., Lakim M. & Schilthuizen M. 2015. Evolution of endemism on a young tropical mountain. Nature 524: 347-350.
- Welzen P.C. van, Strijk J.S., Konijnenburg-van Cittert J.H.A. van, Nucete M., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2014. Dated phylogenies of the sister genera Macaranga and Mallotus (Euphorbiaceae): Congruence in historical biogeographic patterns?. PLOS ONE 9: e85713.
PhDsupervision
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Teachingactivities
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In themedia
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