Evolutionary Genetics Group

We are generally interested in genetic and ecological aspects of speciation in birds. Most of our research is done on two songbird species - the Common Nightingale (Luscinia megarhynchos) and Thrush Nightingale (L. luscinia) - which hybridize in a secondary contact zone spanning Central and Eastern Europe. We study the evolution of reproductive isolation at all levels, including premating, postmating-prezygotic and postzygotic barriers to gene flow. Combining population and functional genomics with cytogenetics we aim to elucidate the genetic architecture of reproductive isolation and identify molecular mechanisms and specific genes responsible for the establishment of reproductive isolation. We are particularly interested in the role of sex chromosomes and the germline-restricted chromosome in speciation. Genetic studies are complemented by analyses of morphological, ecological and behavioral data to understand how hybridization and ecological interactions between species affect the process of speciation.

Our research benefits from multiple collaborations in the Czech Republic as well as abroad:

Jiří Reif (Institute for Environmental Studies, Charles University)
Tomáš Albrecht (Institute of Vertebrate Biology, CAS)
Karel Janko (Institute Animal Physiology and Genetics, CAS)
Jan Pačes (Institute of Molecular Genetics, CAS)
Lubomír Piálek (University of South Bohemia)
Tereza Petrusková (Department of Ecology, Charles University)
Adam Petrusek (Department of Ecology, Charles University)
Michael W. Nachman (University of California, Berkeley, USA)
Alexander Suh (Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change)