GenesCrossRealms · The genetic paths that cross over from terrestrial to subterranean and aquatic realms

Understanding evolutionary change driven by ecological factors is of the utmost importance for conserving and managing wild populations in a changing world. In particular, it is not clear whether evolutionary changes are facilitated or decelerated when organisms encounter a series of subsequent ecological changes. Parallel colonisation of novel environments can be considered a natural experiment providing an answer to these questions. I will assess the association between multiple environmental transitions and evolutionary change using isopod crustaceans of the subfamily Trichoniscinae as a model system. I will explore whether two major environmental transitions, i.e., surface to subterranean and terrestrial to aquatic, are predictably associated with phenotype and genome variation and whether subsequent transitions across major environmental barriers facilitate evolutionary change. To this end, I will identify convergent phenotypes and genomic regions in Trichoniscinae living in surface, subterranean, terrestrial, and aquatic environments, model the evolution of species' ecology, and quantify the degree of hybridization among species. The GenesCrossRealms will model evolution of ecological and morphological traits, and combine it within a transcriptomic-bioinformatic framework. To achieve these goals, I will carry out my research at the University of Ljubljana, guided by Dr. Cene Fišer, an expert in subterranean biology and macroevolution, and Dr. Hans Recknagel, bioniformatician and scholar of convergent evolution. Their skills are compatible with my knowledge on model system and will result in synergies that will improve our understanding of origin and evolution of subterranean biodiversity as well as broader perspective on adaptive evolution in a changing world. This project will equip me with the necessary skills and experience to develop my academic profile, secure advanced funding, stabilize my academic position and ultimately establish my own research group.