top of page
Evolutionary Traces in Cave Biodiversity: Metabarcoding and Genomic Approaches
Project Coordinator: Yağmur Acer
Project Research Team: Emre Keskin
Supported by: Evolutionary Genetics Laboratory (eGL)
Project Status: Ongoing (2024 - )
Caves, as isolated ecosystems, are areas where evolutionary processes can be observed due to their unique species diversity. In this study, microbial, protist, animal, and fungal community structures are analyzed via metabarcoding techniques using environmental DNA (eDNA) obtained from water, soil, and swab samples taken from caves, across the 18S, 16S V3, 12S V5, and ITS regions.
These genomic approaches reveal the hidden biodiversity of cave ecosystems, contributing to a better understanding of evolutionary dynamics such as interspecies relationships, endemism, and adaptation.
bottom of page