Research Interests

We are interested in the origin and distribution of biodiversity, whether morphological, genetic, ecological or functional. Our study groups are different lineages of aquatic and subterranean Coleoptera, mostly (but not exclusively) focused on the Holarctic, and specially the Mediterranean. Current research topics include:

• Phylogeny, taxonomy and biogeography of different lineages of water beetles [more]
• Phylogeny and biogeography of Mediterranean cave & endogean beetles [more]
• The effect of habitat constraints in the macroecology and macroevolution of freshwater invertebrates [more]
• Evolution of the size of the geographical range [more]
• Functional morphology & ecology of beetles [more]

Selected recent publications

• Sánchez-Fernández, D., Lobo, J.M., Millán, A. & Ribera, I. (2012) Habitat persistence mediates time to equilibrium in the geographical distribution of Iberian diving beetles. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 21: 988-997 [pdf]
• Abellán, P. & Ribera, I. (2011) Geographic location and phylogeny are the main determinants of the size of the geographical range in aquatic beetles, BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11: 344. [pdf] [supp.1] [supp.2] [supp.3].
• Ribera, I., Castro, A., Díaz-Pazos, J.A., Garrido, J., Izquierdo, A., Jäch, M.A. & Valladares, L.F. (2011) The geography of speciation in narrow range endemics of the “Haenydra” lineage (Coleoptera, Hydraenidae, Hydraena). Journal of Biogeography, 38: 502-516 [pdf] [supp. information].
• Abellán, P., Benetti, C.J., Angus, R.B. & Ribera, I. (2011) A review of Quaternary range shifts in European aquatic Coleoptera. Global Ecology and Biogeography 20: 87-100 [pdf] [supp. information].
• Ribera, I., Fresneda, J., Bucur, R., Izquierdo, A., Vogler, A.P., Salgado, J.M. & Cieslak, A. (2010) Ancient origin of a Western Mediterranean radiation of subterranean beetles. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 10: 29. [pdf] [see minireview in J. Biol.]
• Abellán, P., Millán, A. & Ribera, I. (2009) Parallel habitat-driven differences in the phylogeographic structure of two independent lineages of Mediterranean saline water beetles. Molecular Ecology 18: 3885-3902. [pdf]
• Ribera, I., Vogler, A.P. & Balke, M. (2008) Molecular phylogeny and diversification of diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae). Cladistics 24: 563-590.[pdf] [Appendix]