Ana Perera Leg

Biography

I did my PhD on the ecology of a small mediterranean lacertid (Scelarcis perspicillata), and I performed research on several aspects on the ecology of mediterranean insular lizards namely reproduction,morphology, diet, home ranges, and the role that insularity may have played in the evolution of these traits. My arrival to CIBIO allowed me to learn molecular techniques to explore the phylogeographic patterns of reptiles and the role of geological and climatic events on speciation processes. Although I did most of my research on the mediterranean region, I also have worked on interesting insular systems, such as Cape Verde and Seychelles.

Research Interest

My current research is focused on the study of host-parasite relationships. Specifically, we are trying to disentangle the genetic diversity of common groups of parasites infecting reptiles. We are currently mostly focused on understanding the patterns of diversity of hemogregarines and oxyurid nematodes, but we intend to extend it to other parasites groups. This assessment will ve the baseline to go further into more specific questions regarding host-parasite relationships, namely co-phylogenetic patterns, host-specificity and factors that promote it, effects of parasites on hosts and parasite competition.