Diego Fontaneto
Research Director
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.+39 0323 518363 (Telephone)
National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Water Research Institute (IRSA)
Largo Tonolli 50, 28922 Verbania Pallanza, Italy
Broad research topics: Ecology, Zoology, Biodiversity, Phylogenetics, Systematics, Taxonomy, Freshwater Ecology, Phylogeography, Molecular Ecology, Invertebrate Biology, Rotifera.
Research interests: My research interests focus on patterns and processes in biological diversity, including speciation and macroecology, mostly using as a test case microscopic invertebrates like rotifers.
Speciation. The evolution of distinct species in animals has often been considered a property solely of sexually reproducing organisms. My work deals with differences and similarities in the speciation process between sexual and asexual organisms.
Macroecology. Patterns of diversity in microscopic organisms are hypothesised to differ from macroscopic ones, as small size, desiccation tolerance, and dispersal capability should allow micro-organisms to achieve global distributions. I test the predictions of this ubiquity hypothesis in microscopic animals using morphological and molecular taxonomy.
Speciation. The evolution of distinct species in animals has often been considered a property solely of sexually reproducing organisms. My work deals with differences and similarities in the speciation process between sexual and asexual organisms.
Macroecology. Patterns of diversity in microscopic organisms are hypothesised to differ from macroscopic ones, as small size, desiccation tolerance, and dispersal capability should allow micro-organisms to achieve global distributions. I test the predictions of this ubiquity hypothesis in microscopic animals using morphological and molecular taxonomy.
Editorial Board: Biogeographia, Hydrobiologia, Journal of Limnology, npj Biodiversity, Zootaxa, and formerly also Diversity (2016), European Zoological Journal (2012-2017) and PLoS ONE (2012-2016).
Follow me on ResearchGate.
Publications (just click here) 