Bij Naturalis zijn er veel mogelijkheden om deel te nemen aan onderzoek. Studenten op zowel bachelor- als masterniveau kunnen ons helpen vragen te beantwoorden door middel van zelfstandige projecten. Je onderzoek kan deel uitmaken van een groter project of op zichzelf staan.
Alle beschikbare onderzoeksprojecten en stages staan hieronder vermeld:
Beschikbareonderzoeksprojecten
Investigating unknown Antarctic deep sea biodiversity through eDNA sequencing
Background and context Deep sea biodiversity is largely unknown due to limitations posed by difficulties in sampling at large depths. New molecular approaches have been recently developed to enhance our ability to study and monitor aquatic ecosystems…
Taxonomic and functional diversity of sandy beach meiofauna
Sandy beaches are highly important ecosystems for a wide range of species. The most diverse group of animals inhabiting sandy beaches is the meiofauna, which consists of species smaller than 1mm. Due to difficulties in species identification, relatively…
Phylogenomics of species radiations
In species radiations it is often not clear how many species are included, because ‘cryptic species’ are involved. Cryptic species behave as distinct species, but have gone unnoticed due to their morphological similarity. Deciphering the phylogenetic…
Taxonomy and evolution of the Myristicaceae in the Neotropics
What does the phylogeny of the Neotropical Myristicaceae tell us about the evolution of its genera in the Amazon and about the diversity of the genus Virola Aublet? Among the six Neotropical genera, Virola has the widest geographical range and the largest…
MtDNA barcoding invasive species
Background and context As a consequence of increasing globalization, species can reach places that were previously inaccessible. Invasive species are considered to be one of the main threats to global biodiversity. They can threaten native species with…
Inferring hybrid zone history
Background and context Where the ranges of closely related species meet they may hybridize. The regions where this occurs are called hybrid zones. A balance of selection against hybrids and dispersal of parental species determines the width of the hybrid…
Enhancing biodiversity in Leiden BioScience Park
What are the most effective corridors in, to and from the LSBP? Background and context The Leiden BioScience Park (LBSP) will be further developed according to a Masterplan LBSP- Gorlaeus, which includes more buildings and the accommodation of some 5000…
Unraveling evolutionary patterns in microscopic wood anatomy
Background and context The Sapotaceae, or sapodilla, family is a large pantropical woody family of ca. 1100 species ranging in habit from small understory shrubs to large canopy trees. They thrive in humid, lowland tropics with high concentration of…
What is a species in the moss genus Campylopus?
Background and context Campylopus is one of the largest moss genera, with about 150 species worldwide. The genus occurs in Western Europe, but has its hotspot of diversity in Central and tropical South America (Neotropics). Identification of Campylopus…
Urban biodiversity and patterns in species occurrences
Background and context Urban biodiversity is the result of urban design (architecture, city planning), management of the green area (planting, sowing, mowing, etc.), and the context (geomorphology, connections with other areas in an ecological network). A…
Leaf anatomy of Macaranga
Background and context Macaranga is a large genus of c. 250 species in Africa and Asia, its sister genus Mallotus occurs in the same area, but has less species. Anatomical characters of Mallotus were extremely helpful to separate species and, more…
Positive root pressure and xylem repair
The main aim of this project is to further our understanding of the conditions under which positive root pressures develop in the tomato plant, and to test the hypothesis that the ability to generate positive root pressure enhances drought-resistance…
Physiological response to drought of a giant woody cabbage cross (Brassica oleracea)
Background and context In the context of climate change and the higher probability of extreme climate events such as droughts and heatwaves, more research is needed to understand and predict how plants will react to these stressful events. In particular…
Revision of Excoecaria
Revision of the Malesian species of Excoecaria (euphorbiaceae) Background and context Probably Excoecaria has 6 species in Malesia, which need revision. One species, E. agallocha, the only one with only alternate leaves, is only growing in the mangrove or…
