Willkommen bei der Evolutionären Tierökologie

Our research group is broadly interested in the Evolutionary, Behavioural and Chemical Ecology of Animals. We seek to understand why specific phenotypic traits have evolved, how organisms interact with con- and heterospecifics and how the social environment shapes the behaviour and other traits of animals. A further aspect is to investigate how adaptations to the social environment affects the ability to respond to novel and changing environments (e.g. human-induced changes).

In particular, we are interested in the evolution and diversification of family life and communication systems, thereby taking an integrative approach. To test a variety of hypotheses, we predominantly use insects as model systems and apply a wide range of methods.

Follow us on Twitter: @SteigerLab