The Meyer Lab
We study several fundamental issues in evolutionary biology. In particular, the evolution of biodiversity, and specifically the genesis of genomic, developmental and morphological diversity as well as their evolutionary interconnections, are of interest to us. To this end we study: morphological differentiation and its developmental basis within a phylogenetic framework, genetic differentiation among populations and species, and the evolution of genes and genomes, and the evolution of novel gene functions. In an effort to better understand the origin and maintenance of diversity we mostly use molecular and bioinformatic approaches, to ask how many and what kind of genetic changes accompany morphological differentiation among populations and species.

News

  • "Das Geheimnis der Buntbarsch-Streifen" Spiegel Online coverage of Kratochwil et al.'s paper in Science Link
  • "Evolution does repeat itself after all: How evolution lets stripes come and go" coverage of Kratochwil et al.'s paper in Science from the University of Konstanz Link​
  • "Anchored phylogenomics uncovers early hybridization and adaptive loci shaping radiation of Lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes" featured on Nature Research Link
  • Professor Meyer talks about the discovery of the coelacanth on BBC Radio Link
  • "Evolutionary outcomes can be predicted" coverage of Kautt et al.'s Evolution Letters paper in Science News Link
  • 5-year Research Fellowships and 2-year Postdoctoral Fellowships of the Zukunftskolleg Job opportunities​

Our latest publications

  • Kratochwil, ​C.F., Liang, Y., Gerwin, J., Woltering, J.M.,  Urban, S., Henning, F., Machado-Schiaffino, G.,  Hulsey, C.D., and A. Meyer. 2018. Agouti-related peptide 2 facilitates convergent evolution of stripe patterns across cichlid fish radiations. Science. 362: 457-460.
  • Hulsey, C.D., Holzman, R., and A. Meyer. 2018. Dissecting a potential spandrel of adaptive radiation: Body depth and pectoral fin ecomorphology coevolve in Lake Malawi cichlid fishes. Ecology and Evolution. (in press).
  • Irissari, I., Singh, P., Koblmüller, S., Torres-Dowdall, J. Henning, F., Franchini, P., Fischer, C., Lemmon, A.R., Lemmon, E.M., Thallinger, G.G., Sturmbauer, C. and A. Meyer. 2018. Phylogenomics uncovers hybridization and adaptive loci shaping the radiation of Lake Tanganyika cichlid fishes. Nature Communications. 9: 3159.​
  • ​all Meyer lab publications