Leaders of different study systems projects
Ecology and genetics Research Unit
Mathematical Sciences Research Unit
Wolverine
Gulo gulo
Ongoing studies
- Wolverine genetics and phylogeography across Eurasia (Gerhardus Lansink, Dominika Bujnakova)
- Finnish wolverine diet using isotope analysis (Clement Masse)
- Fennoscandian wolverine genetics (Gerhardus Lansink)
- Population dynamics including genetic effects (Diego Rondon Bautista)
- Finnish wolverine genomics (Suvi Ponnikas)
Past studies
- Finnish wolverine genetics (Gerhardus Lansink)
- Finnish wolverine diet using scat analysis (Anni Koskela)
Photo credit: Matti Pihlatie (used with permission)
Grey wolf
Canis lupus
Ongoing studies
- Finnish wolf genomics (Suvi Ponnikas)
- Skull morphology of Fennoscandian wolves (Dominika Bujnakova)
- Global wolf morphology patterns (Dominika Bujnakova)
- Population dynamics including genetic effects (Diego Rondon Bautista)
Past studies
- Finnish wolf genetics (Jenni Harmoinen, Alina Niskanen, Eeva Jansson)
- Finnish wolf pedigree (Jenni Harmoinen)
Photo credit: Jari Peltomäki / Finnature (used with permission)
Brown bear
Ursus arctos
Past studies
- Bear telemetry and home range patterns (Astrid Olejarz, Alina Niskanen, Jenni Harmoinen)
- Bear genetics (Alexander Kopatz)
Photo credit: Jarkko J (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Indian leopard
Panthera pardus fusca
Ongoing studies
- Genetic diversity and structure of leopard populations using microsatellite markers (Daniela Salazar)
- Gene flow and migration between leopard sub-populations (Daniela Salazar)
- Diet analysis of leopard populations in human dominated landscapes (Micro-histological and metabarcoding) (Daniela Salazar)
Photo credit: Wenzel Pinto (used with permission)
Saimaa ringed seal
Phoca hispida saimensis
Ongoing studies
- Past history of Saimaa seal based on museum samples (Matti Heino, Jenni Harmoinen, Jouni Aspi, Laura Kvist)
Photo credit: Mervi Kunnasranta (used with permission)
Horse
Equus caballus
Breed: Finnhorse
Ongoing studies
- Equine metabolic syndrome genetics (Laura Kvist)
- Insect bite hypersensitivity genetics (Laura Kvist)
- History of the breed (using genetics of historic and ancient samples) (Laura Kvist)
Past studies
- Selection, inbreeding and history using genomics of modern samples (Laura Kvist)
Photo credit: Heidi Salo
Semi-domesticated Reindeer
Rangifer tarandus tarandus
Ongoing studies
- Finnish semi-domesticated reindeer diets using stable isotope analysis (Tamara Hiltunen)
- Finnish semi-domesticated reindeer movement ecology and habitat selection (Tamara Hiltunen)
- Past evolutionary history and phylogeography of reindeer (Matti Heino)
Past studies
- History of the semi-domesticated reindeer using ancient DNA (Matti Heino)
Photo credit: Tamara Hiltunen
Wild Forest Reindeer
Rangifer tarandus fennicus
Ongoing studies
- Wild forest reindeer ecology and habitat selection (Viivi Puoskari)
Photo credit: Pekka Kilpeläinen (male wild forest reindeer on the left and male semi-domesticated reindeer on the right)
Svalbard Reindeer
Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus
Past studies
- Svalbard reindeer late winter diets using stable isotope analysis (Tamara Hiltunen)
Photo credit: Tamara Hiltunen
Bean goose
Anser fabalis
Ongoing studies
- Subspecies composition of bean goose hunting bags in Finland, Sweden and Estonia & development of subspecies photo identification method (Johanna Honka)
- Environmental DNA-based detection method for bean geese (Johanna Honka)
Past studies
- Genetic population structure of bean geese breeding in Finland (Johanna Honka)
- Bean goose hunting bag subspecies composition in Finland in 2010-2013 (Johanna Honka)
Photo credit: Marton Berntsen, (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Lesser white-fronted goose
Anser erythropus
Ongoing studies
- Mapping of potential breeding sites of the endangered Fennoscandian lesser white-fronted goose in Finnish Lapland using environmental DNA (Johanna Honka, Laura Kvist, Jouni Aspi)
Past studies
- Genetic population structure and phylogeography of lesser white-fronted geese (Minna Ruokonen, Laura Kvist)
- Genetic composition of captive bred lesser white-fronted geese (Minna Ruokonen, Laura Kvist)
Photo credit: Tapio Kostet/WWF Kiljuhanhityöryhmä
Domestic goose and its progenitor greylag goose
Anser anser
Ongoing studies
- Stable isotope analyses of archaeological finds of Russian and Finnish domestic geese (Johanna Honka, Laura Kvist)
Past studies
- Ancient DNA of Russian archaeological domestic geese (Johanna Honka)
- Domestication of the greylag goose and hybridization between domestic and greylag goose (Marja Heikkinen)
- Genetic population structure of domestic and greylag goose (Marja Heikkinen)
Photo credit: Johanna Honka (greylag goose on the left and domestic goose on the right)
Golden eagle
Aquila chrysaetos
Ongoing studies
- Population structure and genetic diversity of golden eagles in Finland and across Eurasia using mtDNA and nuclear markers (Ekaterina Karabanina)
- Turnover in Finnish golden eagles (Aure Kylmänen, Ekaterina Karabanina, Suvi Ponnikas, Laura Kvist)
- Population dynamics including genetic effects (Diego Rondon Bautista)
Past studies
- Breeding habitat requirements and distribution of suitable habitat of the Finnish Golden Eagle (Suvi Ponnikas)
Photo credit: Jarkko Järvinen (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Moor frog
Rana arvalis
Ongoing studies
- Environmental DNA-based detection method for moor frog (Suvi Olli)
Photo credit: Aleksandrs Balodis (CC-BY-SA-4.0)
Breadcrumb sponge
Halichondria panicea
Ongoing studies
- Investigating the genetic diversity of breadcrumb sponges across the populations around the North Sea (Joseph Lawrence, Lumi Viljakainen, Øystein Varpe, Laura Kvist)
Photo credit: Joseph Lawrence
Past study systems
Mammals
- Bank vole (Myodes glareolus)
- Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris)
- Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)
- Grey seal (Halichoerus grypus)
- Moose (Alces alces)
- Flying squirrel (Pteromys volans)
Birds
- Kestler (Falco tinnunculus)
- Peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
- Southern dunlin (Calidris alpina schinzii)
- Temminck’s tint (Caldris temmickii)
- Terek sandpiper (Xenus cinereus)
- Great tit (Parus major)
- Blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus, Cyanistes teneriffae)
- Willow tit (Poecile montanus)
- White-tailed sea eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
- Trumpeter finch (Bucanetes githagineus)
- Reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus)
Plants
- Tartarian catchfly (Silene tatarica)
- Creeping alkali grass (Puccinellia phryganodes)
- Dark-red helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens)
- Siberian primrose (Primula nutans)
- (Viola uliginosa)
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