The Alps are an extremely species-rich mountain range, characterized by both, the climate of Central Europe and the Mediterranean climate. There have long been partly contradictory hypotheses about the origin of Alpine biodiversity. In this lecture, Peter Schönswetter will give an overview of the different pathways that can lead to the origin of new species based on new research results. After an introduction to the geography of speciation, the importance of the multiplication of chromosome sets (polyploidization) will be explained. Using the example of the species group of Heliosperma pusilla, which also occurs in South Tyrol, the importance of ecological differentiation in early phases of speciation will be discussed. Finally, the complex topic of hybridization is dealt with, which can have both positive and negative effects on biodiversity.
Peter Schönswetter, Professor at the Institute of Botany at the University of Innsbruck, has been researching the origin and diversification of the alpine flora for many years.
The Colloquium takes place on January 12th at 6 pm in the Museum for Natural Science (via Bottai 1, Bolzano). Due to current Covid measures, only 34 people can attend in person. We therefore ask for registration. Admission is free. Info: Tel. 0471 412964
The presentation will be held in German language.
Participation possible also online on YouTube:
