The origin of the last remaining wild horses

Przewalski’s horses are listed as last wild species of horses, but genome studies demonstrate that all remaining specimens of Przewalski’s horses are descendants of formerly domesticated animals.

Sun Bear Conservation Genetics and Genomics

Despite its vulnerable status in the IUCN Red List and serious conservation concerns, the sun bear Helarctos malayanus remains the least studied bear species. In this project, we use a range of genetic and genomic approaches to support on-going conservation efforts with new molecular tools.

Comparative environmental epigenomics in wildlife

Epigenetic changes function as flexible mechanisms to increase a species' adaptability to environmental changes, but past studies have focused mostly on maternal effects. Here we study parental transmitted epigenetic responses and ask also if different environmental changes invoke different or similar responses.

Sloths Evolution, Speciation and Conservation

As the single major mammalian lineage to have originated in South America, the superorder Xenarthra represent an intriguing but still understudied clade. Sloths are part of this group and comprehend two extant genera: Choloepus and Bradypus, also known as twoand three-toed sloths, respectively. There are a total of six currently recognized sloth species, distributed in low and upland tropical forests of Central and South America. Despite being phylogenetically very distant, Choloepus and Bradypus share a number of adaptations to the arboreal lifestyle, including anatomical adaptations to a peculiar suspensory posture and locomotion. Sloths rarely come to the forest floor, making it difficult to observe, capture and study these species. This justifies the lack of comprehensive knowledge about its evolutionary history, population viability and biology. In this context, we aim to investigate the evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships within the genus Choloepus and Bradypus, and how they correlate to the history and biogeography of the Neotropics in general.

Novel computational methods in wildlife research

Many of our research projects require new computational methods for processing and evaluating the data obtained. We develop these analysis tools either ourselves or in cooperation with partners, and also make them available to third parties.

Understanding demographic and genetic change in a recovering population through simulation modelling

The 27+ year study of the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in the Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania, provides us with a unique opportunity to study the causes and consequences of demographic changes, genetics changes, and their interplay in a wild recovering population of a group-living mammal. To achieve this goal, we tailored an individual based simulation model (aka SHIM) to study a wide range of questions, covering both basic research as well as questions that have practical implications for conservation.

Two-toed sloth (Choloepus ssp.) ex-situ population
genomic-informed management

With nearly 300 individuals across two recognized species (Choloepus didactylus and Choloepus hoffmani), the EAZA ex-situ population of two-toed loths represents a valuable resource for conservation. However, emerging enomic data revealing at least four distinct wild lineages within the Choloepus genus necessitates a reassessment of current management practices. This roject aims to determine the genomics composition of the captive population and develop informed recommendations for breeding strategies, optimising enetic diversity and contributing to the long-term sustainability of two-toed sloths in zoos.

Anatolian Lynx Project (currently on hold)

Inferences from populations studied elsewhere might prove to be misleading for conservation of locally adapted populations. Our research has proved that Eurasian lynx populations living in Anatolian Turkey display a special foraging ecology, and morphological and behavioural adjustments meeting expectations of a lagomorph specialist meso-carnivore, living at high density and genetically diverse populations. This project aims to form an extensive baseline for conservation of this unique lynx population and create a model for conservation of other carnivore species in Turkey.

Genetic monitoring of threatened European carnivores

By developing SNP marker systems to genetically monitor European carnivores, we provide tools to understand how these elusive species co-exist with humans and recolonize densely populated areas with intensive land-use. In this network project, research at the IZW focused on the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) and the Eurasian brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos).

Powering endurance: Fuel selection in migratory bats

Mammals that engage in high intensity endurance exercise will deplete their glycogen reserves and then reach a point of sudden fatigue. Migratory birds, however, don’t have that problem, they oxydize lipids. But how do migratory bats generate the energy needed for long distance migration? Do they metabolize fat depots or do they refuel on the way?

Phylogeographic delineation and adaptive genomics of
Tamandua tetradactyla

The genus Tamandua contains two species, a trans-Andean species T. mexicana, and a cis-Andean species T. tetradactyla. Tamandua tetradactyla has a huge distribution, from northern South America to northern Argentina and Uruguay. Despite being an important species for the maintenance of forests and balance of ecosystems, little is known about the diversity of the species and part of the gap in knowledge is linked to the difficulty in obtaining samples. This gap impacts the comprehension of species delimitation and negatively influences species conservation since T. tetradactyla may represent a species complex. To access the genetic diversity and geographic structuring of individuals of T. tetradactyla collected in different localities, in this study, we propose to analyse the SNPs obtained from reduced representation genomic sequencing with the 3RAD method. In addition, to understand the mechanisms and genomic changes that favoured the adaptation of this species to the most diverse environments, we will search, from genome sequencing, for functional regions of the genome and candidate genes associated with the adaptive success of the species. In this way, we seek to evaluate the taxonomic status and understand the evolutionary mechanisms involved in the adaptation of the
species.

Forest elephant conservation in Liberia

The forest elephant population (Loxodonta cyclotis) of Central Africa has declined by more than half in the last two decades. Information on population sizes in West Africa is completely missing. In close cooperation with ElReCo and Future for Elephants, we are therefore using genetic markers to investigate size, structure and sex composition of forest elephant populations in Liberia in order to support conservation measures for these endangered giants.

Wild boar in urban space (currently on hold)

Wild boar have already established stable populations in many European cities. Effective and efficient population management is needed to avoid human-wildlife conflicts. For its implementation, it has to be clarified whether these urban populations are self-sustaining or require a constant influx of animals from surrounding areas (source-sink dynamics). We are investigating this in two European cities, namely Berlin and with our collaborative partner Wildlife Ecology & Health in Barcelona.

Biodiversity Genomics Europe

The EU-funded BGE project focuses on accelerating the application of genomic  science for biodiversity understanding, monitoring of the changes and the interventions to address its decline. The consortium of 33 partners from 20 countries aligns efforts and resources for DNA barcoding and genome sequencing across the European communities. This will include establishing
biodiversity genomics European networks to grow the capacity to use genomic tools. The implementation of large-scale data-generating pipelines will accelerate the production of genomic data for biodiversity characterisation and monitoring. The main BGE objective is to enhance understanding of European biodiversity and
processes associated with its decline and to improve the efficacy of intervention and biomonitoring programmes.

Evolution in Wild Populations: Determinants of Fitness and Environmental Change Responses of Spotted Hyenas

Rapid environmental change is affecting natural populations globally. This constitutes both an urgent concern, and also an opportunity to understand how
environmental change shapes evolutionary and ecological responses. Focusing on the spotted hyenas inhabiting Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, we will combine the long-term demographic data with genomic data to investigate (1) what determines fitness, (2) how persistent distinct biological responses are to environmental change, and (3) what the consequences are for population dynamics in the wild. We will use the 3RADseq method to generate around 10.000 SNPs to up to 2.000 individuals.

Genotropics: Adaptive Genomics for Neotropical species

Genotropics (https://www.genotropics.org/) is a bi-national Brazilian-German Consortium of experts in Genomic approaches to Neotropical species. Our goal is to establish a Consortium of experts to apply Genomic approaches to Neotropical species through training, knowledge transfer and
joint analyses of several ongoing and new sub-projects focused on the genetic basis of adaptive traits favouring species diversification. The  establishment of the consortium was funded by the PPP International / Probal CAPES-DAAD program, for 4 years (2023-2026).

Population and functional Genomics of the semi-captive
Asian Elephants in Myanmar

Human-mediated environmental changes are leading to a rapid and unprecedented wildlife population decline. Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) are not an exception: they have disappeared from 95% of their historical range. Remarkably, one quarter of the remaining Asian elephants in the world now actually live in captivity, and are employed as draft animals or in tourism. By using a comprehensive longitudinal dataset of the largest semi-captive population of Asian Elephants in the world, located in Myanmar, we aim to combine Genomics information with phenotypes, health and life-history data of Asian Elephants to address fundamental questions in biology, disease and conservation of this endangered species. We generated extensive genomic resources for
Asian Elephants from Myanmar, including the first reference genome for the Asian Elephant, 3RADseq data for 297 individuals and whole genomes for 67 individuals. Our ultimate goal is to provide a powerful resource to
contribute to the conservation of Asian Elephants.

Sea turtles Genome Project

Genetic tools provide a path for understanding key gaps in sea
turtle conservation biology. Yet reference genomes are
available for just two of the seven sea turtle species. This
project will build high quality, annotated reference genomes for
the five remaining sea turtle species to inform strategies for
population recovery and resilience.