Research
Juliane Romahn is working on her PhD project: Genomic traces of introgressive hybridization and its impact on local adaptation. In her PhD project she focuses on introgressive hybridization on the genomic level within multiple phyla. Since at least around 10% of animal and 25% of plants species are known to occasionally hybridize, studying the evolutionary consequences of introduced genetic material is mandatory (e.g. enhanced adaptation to local biotic and abiotic factors). To find genomic traces of introgressive hybridization, whole genome sequencing of two Radix, Chironomus and Felis MOTUs as well as their respective hybrids will be conducted. By comparing the impact of hybridization on the genome level of these distantly related phyla we will reveal general genomic pattern as well as differences that occur when species hybridize.