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Emanuel A. Fronhofer
current mentees
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Lilia Galvez:
Eco-evolutionary dynamics of range expanding communities.
MSc Thesis (MEME M1). Univ. Montpellier, France (co-supervision with O. Kaltz).

Lilia studies the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of range expanding communities.
She uses experimental evolution and protist microcosms for her investigations.


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Felix Moerman:
From the genetic basis to the ecological dynamics of spreading populations.
PhD Thesis. Eawag & Univ. Zurich, Switzerland (co-supervision with F. Altermatt & A. Wagner).
Felix studies the genetic and genomic basis of range expansions in the protist model organism Tetrahymena thermophila.
He uses experimental evolution, numerical analyses and genomic data for his investigations.

past mentees
Martina Ramel: ​Evolution of dispersal during range expansions in multi-species systems.
MSc Thesis, 2016. Eawag & Univ. Zurich, Switzerland (co-supervision with F. Altermatt).
Martina studied the eco-evolutionary dynamics of multi-species range expansions.
She used experimental evolution and numerical analyses for her investigations.

Ludwig Leidinger: ​Intraguild predation in a spatial context: the impact of landscape heterogeneity.
MSc Thesis, 2016. Eawag & Univ. Würzburg, Germany (co-supervision with E. Martin & O. Mitesser).
Ludwig studied the ecological dynamics of an intraguild predation foodweb module in a spatially explicit context.
He used individual-based models for his work.

Nicolai Nitsche: Non-random dispersal and the eco-evolutionary dynamics of invasions.
MSc Thesis, 2014. Eawag & Univ. Constance, Switzerland (co-supervision with F. Altermatt & M. van Kleunen).
Nicolai studied the impact of information use on the eco-evolutionary dynamics of range expansions.
He did both experimental evolution using protist microcosms and theoretical work.
Fronhofer E. A., Nitsche N. & Altermatt F. (2017) Information use shapes the dynamics of range expansions into environmental gradients. Global Ecology and Biogeography 26: 400-411.

Jonas Stelz: Experimental evolution of dispersal distance in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae.
BSc Thesis, 2013. Univ. Würzburg, Germany (co-supervision with H. J. Poethke).
Jonas was interested in how dispersal distances (the dispersal kernel) evolve depending on the spatial autocorrelation of patch extinctions.
He studied the experimental evolution of dispersal kernel using spider mites as model organisms.

Fronhofer E. A., Stelz J. M., Lutz E., Poethke H. J. & Bonte D. (2014) Spatially correlated extinctions select for less emigration but larger dispersal distances in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae. Evolution 68: 1838-1844.

Lisa Teckentrup: Bayesian foraging and the emergence of home ranges.
BSc Thesis, 2013. Univ. Würzburg, Germany (co-supervision with H. J. Poethke).
Lisa wanted to know whether stable home ranges can emerge from intelligent movement rules.
She
investigated informed, non-random movement strategies using individual-based simulations.

Anna-Marie Winter: Range border elasticity under strong Allee effects.
BSc Thesis, 2013. Univ. Würzburg, Germany (co-supervision with A. Kubisch and H. J. Poethke).
Anna-Marie wanted to know under what conditions species ranges show 'elastic' behaviour, i.e. a range contraction after an initial expansion.
She studied range border dynamics and the evolution of dispersal using individual-based simulations.

Kubisch A., Winter A.-M. & Fronhofer E. A. (2016) The downward spiral: eco-evolutionary feedback loops lead to the emergence of 'elastic' ranges. Ecography 39: 261-269.

Anna Kreis: Olfactory cues mediate vector choice in a phoretic flower mite.
MSc F1 Thesis, 2012. Univ. Würzburg & Univ. Ulm, Germany (co-supervision with M. Tschapka and H. J. Poethke).
Anna was interested in the use of chemical cues for informed emigration and immigration decisions.
She
studied the chemical ecology of phoretic flower mites in a lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica (La Selva Biological Station, OTS).
Fronhofer E. A., Sperr E. B., Kreis A., Ayasse M., Poethke H. J. & Tschapka M. (2013) Picky hitch-hikers: vector choice leads to directed dispersal and fat-tailed kernels in a passively dispersing mite. Oikos 122: 1254-1264.

Hanna Märkle: Optimal despotism - group sizes and dispersal in spatially structured populations.
BSc Thesis, 2011. Univ. Würzburg, Germany (co-supervision with H. J. Poethke).
Hanna was interested in the evolution of optimal group sizes and the coexistence of eusocial and solitary strategies.
She used individual-based simulations to explore the evolution of eusociality in metapopulations.
Dr. Emanuel A. Fronhofer -  Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution (ISEM), Montpellier, France
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