Core research themes
Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of African aquatic biota
Systematics is the branch of evolutionary biology that studies the diversity of and relationships between species, and analyses their evolution in space and time. Taxonomic knowledge of tropical aquatic faunas lags behind that of faunas in north-temperate regions, resulting in incomplete classification of biological diversity, despite its crucial role in both fundamental and applied ecological research and biodiversity conservation. We study a wide range of aquatic biota, including Cladocera (water fleas) and Ostracoda (seed shrimp) among the microcrustacea, Chironomidae (non-biting midges) and Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) among the aquatic insects, and Mollusca (snails and mussels). Most of these groups enjoy good fossil preservation, permitting direct links between historical biogeography, species evolution and the history of environmental change. Our morphological and biogeographical studies are combined with molecular phylogenetics and phylogeography, to provide better insight in the diversity, species relationships, and the evolutionary history of each group. One particular project exploits the excellent fossil record of fish teeth in African lake sediments to trace the colonization, environmental adaptation and evolution of cichlid fishes in an isolated crater lake.
Selected publications
Eggermont, H., Verschuren, D., 2007. Taxonomy and diversity of Afroalpine Chironomidae (Insecta : Diptera) on Mount Kenya and the Rwenzori mountains, East Africa. J. Biogeogr. 34, 69-89. Read more
Mergeay, J., Verschuren, D. De Meester, L., 2006. Invasion of an asexual American water flea clone throughout Africa and rapid displacement of a native sibling species. Proc. Roy. Soc. Lond. B 273, 2839-2844. Read more
Eggermont, H., Verschuren, D., Dumont, H. J., 2005. Taxonomic diversity and biogeography of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) in lakes of tropical West Africa, using sub-fossil remains extracted from surface sediments.
J. Biogeogr. 32, 1-21. Read more
Mergeay, J., Verschuren, D., De Meester, L., 2005. Daphnia species diversity in Kenya, and a key to the identification of their ephippia. Hydrobiologia 542, 261-274. Read more
Eggermont, H., Verschuren, D., 2004. Subfossil Chironomidae from East Africa. 1. Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae. J. Paleolim. 32, 383-412. Read more
Eggermont H., Verschuren, D., 2004. Subfossil Chironomidae from East Africa. 2. Chironomini and Tanytarsini. J. Paleolim. 32, 413-455. Read more
Eggermont, H., Verschuren, D., 2003. Subfossil Chironomidae from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. 1. Tanypodinae and Orthocladiinae. J. Paleolim. 29: 31-48. Read more
Eggermont, H., Verschuren, D., 2003. Subfossil Chironomidae from Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. 2. Chironominae (Chironomini and Tanytarsini). J. Paleolim. 29: 423-458. Read more