Hi, I'm Patrick Rohner
I am broadly interested in the ultimate and proximate underpinnings of the stunning diversity of organismal shapes, sizes, and lifestyles. This applies in particular to the mechanisms driving rapid diversification of morphology, behavior, and life history in arthropods. Specifically, my research integrates quantitative and functional genetic, experimental, and comparative approaches to uncover how phenotypic plasticity arises and, once in existence, shapes subsequent evolutionary change. Ongoing and future research investigates the role of developmental bias, niche construction, and the vertical transmission of symbionts in shaping the development and evolution of insects. |