We are using Triturus as a model organism to study evolution of complex morphological traits and to test for ontogenetic and evolutionary constraints on their evolution.
Why Triturus newts?
The well resolved phylogeny and the congruence between species morphology and ecological preferences are providing the opportunity to obtain insight into the evolutionary mechanisms that lead to divergence from a common ancestral developmental program.
The newts are tailed amphibians with complex biphasic life cycles. Aquatic larvae and terrestrial individuals have morphologically discrete phenotypes inhabit contrasting environments with different functional requirements and exploit different food resources. One of main questions is whether metamorphosis, the abrupt changes which enables existence of morphologically discrete phenotypes, can be regarded as adaptation or as a constraint to evolutionary changes?
Another striking characteristics of the genus Triturus, is a balanced lethal system (deleted or lethal genes on Chromosome 1), which causes arrested development and death of 50% of embryos at specific, mid-embryonic period of development, pharyngula or tailbud stage, which is characterized by the formation of notochord, the gastrointestinal tract below and the spinal cord above the notochord, pharyngeal arches, somite segments and the tail bud. The natural knock-out of genes crucial for development can be used as excellent natural system for studding developmental processes involved in the most crucial stage of vertebrate development – the pharyngula stage
Lab members:
Milena Cvijanović, Tijana Vučić, Maja Ajduković, Aleksandar Urošević and Ana Ivanović
The amphibians and reptiles of the Balkan Peninsuala have been in the scope of our research as they represent a „natural laboratory“ and excellent model systems for both, evolutionary and conservation studies. These two groups are characterised by low dispersal abilities and mostly strict ecological requirements, resulting in high evolutionary differentiation and intraspecific variation in morphology, genetics, life history and ecology. The specificity of the Balkan Peninsula is it's complex paleogeographic history, heterogeneous landscapes, topographic diversity and climatic variation. The Balkan Peninsula is the site of origin of numerous taxa, an area of high endemicity and numerous hybridization zones. Combining data from natural populations and experimental studies, we study: (1) ontogenetic and phylogenetic aspects of size and shape changes and the pattern of morpological variation, (2) phylogeographic patterns of evolutionary lineages and (3) the relation between eco-geographical and environmental variables and species distribution, (4) long-term ecological studies and analyses of life history traits, (5) functional-morphology and behaviour.