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2004: Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics at the NC State University in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - two modules: "Quantitative Trait Locus Mapping I" and "Markov Chain Monte Carlo for Geneticists"

2005-2008: Post-Doc at the Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Austria, with Dr. Kristina M. Sefc, in the framework of the projects "The role of sexual selection and habitat instabilities in the evolution of intraspecific colour variation in the cichlid genus Tropheus from Lake Tanganyika” funded by the Austrian Science Foundation (P17380-B06) and "Species richness in Lake Tanganyika cichlid lineages" funded by the provincial government of Styria.

I am mainly working on the adaptive radiation of cichlid fishes of Lake Tanganyika. The Great East African Lakes (Tanganyika, Malawi, Victoria) are known for their cichlid species flocks containing hundreds of species and thus provide ideal model systems for studying adaptive radiation. Lake Tanganyika is the oldest of these lakes and harbors the ecologically, morphologically, and behaviorally most diverse assemblage of cichlids. At present about 200 cichlid species are described from Lake Tanganyika, but there are several more awaiting scientific description. The present day cichlid species flock of Lake Tanganyika consists of both ancient African lineages that now exist nowhere else and modern lineages that arose during the Tanganyikan radiation itself. High speciation rates in East African cichlid fishes are believed to be driven by the complex interaction of extrinsic factors, such as major biogeographical processes and intrinsic biological characteristics of the involved organisms. Thus, assessing the relative importance of extrinsic factors (providing the opportunity for radiation) and intrinsic factors (giving the potential to radiate) is an important prerequisite to understand the process of adaptive radiation. Several major cladogenesis events in Lake Tanganyika cichlids can be correlated with severe habitat changes in the form of lake level fluctuations. Interestingly this is true not only for rock-dwelling cichlids, but also for species living in open water. By means of molecular genetic approaches questions concerning phylogeny, phylogeography, population genetics and mating system of Lake Tanganyikacichlids are addressed. I am also working on the phylogeography of riverine cichlids, mainly from Zambian rivers, to compare their modes and degrees of diversification with those of lacustrine cichlids.

Evolutionary and conservation genetics of North American wolf-like canid species:

As a Post-Doc at Uppsala University I joined Jennifer A. Leonard's research on evolutionary and conservation genetics of North American canid species. In particular I'm focusing on the hybridization dynamics between coyotes and wolves, with a special focus on the Great Lakes area. Like elsewhere in the US, the wolves of the Great Lakes region were almost exterminated at the beginning of the last century due to habitat depletion associated with the spread of agriculture and direct persecution, while the coyote drastically expanded its distribution range, invading areas previously occupied by wolves. The habitat continues to change, as many farms are abandoned and the forests are now expanding. Under the protection of the US Endangered Species Act, the Great Lakes wolves have recovered to currently >3000 individuals in the newly available forested habitat. Nonetheless, it is very unlikely that coyotes will cease to be part of this ecosytem in the forseeable future, thus, coyote and wolves coexist in close proximity. The recovery of the Great Lakes wolves resulted in an extensive debate regarding their potential delisting. However, at present there is still no consensus about which species of wolf-like canid currently inhabits the Great lake region and if the integrity of this population is under threat by hybridization with coyotes. Molecular genetic approaches are used to clarify the taxonomic status of the wolf-like canids in the Great Lakes region and to study the hybridization patterns between these species. Moreover I'm looking at large scale phylogeographic patterns in both wolves and coyotes with a particular interest in the colonization of North America by gray wolves.

in press:

34.	Schäffer S, Pfingstl T, Koblmüller S, Winkler KA, Sturmbauer C, Krisper G. Phylogenetic analysis of European Scutovertex mites (Acari, Oribatida, Scutoverticidae) reveals paraphyly and cryptic diversity - a molecular genetic and morphological approach. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, in press.
33.	Koblmüller S, Egger B, Sturmbauer C, Sefc KM. Rapid radiation, ancient incomplete lineage sorting and ancient hybridization in the endemic Lake Tanganyika cichlid tribe Tropheini. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, in press.
32.	Schäffer S, Koblmüller S, Pfingstl T, Sturmbauer C, Krisper G. Contrasting mitochondrial DNA diversity estimates in Austrian Scutovertex minutus and S. sculptus (Acari, Oribatida, Brachypylina, Scutoverticidae). Pedobiologia, in press.

2009:

31.	Koblmüller S, Nord M, Wayne RK, Leonard JA. 2009. More is better. Molecular Ecology 18, 4994-4996.
30.	Nevado B, Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C, Snoeks J, Usano-Alemany J, Verheyen E. 2009. Complete mtDNA replacement in a Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish. Molecular Ecology 18, 4240-4255.
29.	Sefc KM, Hermann CM, Koblmüller S. 2009. Mating system variability in a mouthbrooding cichlid fish from a tropical lake. Molecular Ecology 18, 3508-3517.
28.	Koblmüller S, Nord M, Wayne RK, Leonard JA. 2009. Origin and status of the Great Lakes wolf. Molecular Ecology 18, 2313-2326.
27.	Koblmüller S, Duftner N, Sefc KM, Aigner U, Rogetzer M, Sturmbauer C. 2009. Phylogeographic structure and gene flow in the scale-eating cichlid Perissodus microlepis (Teleostei, Perciformes, Cichlidae) in southern Lake Tanganyika. Zoologica Scripta 38, 257-268.
26.	Herler J, Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C. 2009. Phylogenetic relationships of coral-associated gobies (Teleostei, Gobiidae) from the Red Sea based on mitochondrial DNA data. Marine Biology 156, 725-739.
25.	Sefc KM, Koblmüller S. 2009. Assessing parent numbers from offspring genotypes: the importance of marker polymorphism. Journal of Heredity 100, 197-205.

2008:

24.	Koblmüller S, Schliewen UK, Duftner N, Sefc KM, Katongo C, Sturmbauer C. 2008. Age and spread of the haplochromine cichlid fishes in Africa. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 49, 153-169.
23.	Sturmbauer C, Fuchs C, Harb G, Damm E, Duftner N, Maderbacher M, Koch M, Koblmüller S. 2008. Abundance, distribution and territory areas of rock-dwelling Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish species. Hydrobiologia, 615, 57-68.
22.	Sturmbauer C, Hahn C, Koblmüller S, Postl L, Sinyinza D, Sefc KM. 2008. Variation of territory size and defense behavior in breeding pairs of the endemic Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish Variabilichromis moorii. Hydrobiologia, 615, 49-56.
21.	Koblmüller S, Sefc, KM, Sturmbauer C. 2008. The Lake Tanganyika cichlid species assemblage: recent advances in molecular phylogenetics. Hydrobiologia, 615, 5-20.
20.	Sefc KM, Mattersdorfer K, Sturmbauer C, Koblmüller S. 2008. High frequency of multiple paternity in broods of a socially monogamous cichlid fish with biparental nest defense. Molecular Ecology, 17, 2531-2543.
19.	Koblmüller S, Sefc KM, Duftner N, Katongo C, Tomljanovic T, Sturmbauer C. 2008. A single mitochondrial haplotype and nuclear genetic differentiation in sympatric colour morphs of a riverine cichlid fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 21, 362-367.

2007:

18.	Duftner N, Sefc KM, Koblmüller S, Salzburger W, Taborsky M, Sturmbauer C. 2007. Parallel evolution of facial stripe patterns in the Neolamprologus brichardi/pulcher species complex endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45, 706-715.
17.	Katongo C, Koblmüller S, Duftner N, Mumba L, Sturmbauer C. 2007. Evolutionary history and biogeographic affinities of the serranochromine cichlids in Zambian rivers. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45, 326-338.
16.	Koblmüller S, Egger B, Sturmbauer C, Sefc KM. 2007. Evolutionary history of Lake Tanganyika's scale-eating cichlid fishes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44, 1295-1305.
15.	Egger B, Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C, Sefc KM. 2007. Nuclear and mitochondrial data reveal different evolutionary processes in the Lake Tanganyika cichlid genus Tropheus. BMC Evolutionary Biology 7, 137.
14.	Koblmüller S, Sefc KM, Duftner N, Warum M, Sturmbauer C. 2007. Genetic population structure as indirect measure of dispersal ability in a Lake Tanganyika cichlid. Genetica 130, 121-131.
13.	Koblmüller S, Duftner N, Sefc KM, Aibara M, Stipacek M, Blanc M, Egger B, Sturmbauer C. 2007. Reticulate phylogeny of gastropod-shell-breeding cichlids from Lake Tanganyika – the result of repeated introgressive hybridization. BMC Evolutionary Biology 7, 7.
12.	Koch M, Koblmüller S, Sefc KM, Duftner N, Katongo C, Sturmbauer C. 2007. Evolutionary history of the endemic Lake Tanganyika cichlid fish Tylochromis polylepis: a recent intruder to a mature adaptive radiation. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research 45, 64-71.

2006:

11.	Duftner N, Sefc KM, Koblmüller S, Nevado B, Verheyen E, Phiri H, Sturmbauer C. 2006. Distinct population structure in a phenotypically homogeneous rock-dwelling cichlid fish from Lake Tanganyika. Molecular Ecology 15, 2381-2396.
10.	Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C, Verheyen E, Meyer A, Salzburger W. 2006. Mitochondrial phylogeny and phylogeography of East African squeaker catfishes (Siluriformes: Synodontis). BMC Evolutionary Biology 6, 49.
9.	Schelly R, Salzburger W, Koblmüller S, Duftner N, Sturmbauer C. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships of the lamprologine cichlid genus Lepidiolamprologus (Teleostei: Perciformes) based on mitochondrial and nuclear sequences, suggesting introgressive hybridization. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 38, 426-438.

8.	Sturmbauer C, Koblmüller S, Sefc KM, Duftner N. 2005. Phylogeographic history of the genus Tropheus, a lineage of rock-dwelling cichlid fishes endemic to Lake Tanganyika. Hydrobiologia 542, 335-366.
7.	Katongo C, Koblmüller S, Duftner N, Makasa L, Sturmbauer C. 2005. Phylogeography and speciation in the Pseudocrenilabrus philander species complex in Zambian rivers. Hydrobiologia 542, 221-233.
6.	Duftner N, Koblmüller S, Weiss S, Medgyesy N, Sturmbauer C. 2005. The impact of stocking on the genetic structure of European grayling (Thymallus thymallus, Salmonidae) in two alpine rivers. Hydrobiologia 542, 121-129.
5.	Sugawara T, Terai Y, Imai H, Turner G, Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C, Shichida Y, Okada N. 2005. Parallelism of amino acid changes at the RH1 affecting spectral sensitivity among deep-water cichlids from Lakes Tanganyika and Malawi. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 102, 5448-5453.
4.	Koblmüller S, Duftner N, Katongo C, Phiri H, Sturmbauer C. 2005. Ancient divergence in bathypelagic Lake Tanganyika deepwater cichlids: Mitochondrial phylogeny of the tribe Bathybatini. Journal of Molecular Evolution 60, 297-314.
3.	Duftner N, Koblmüller S, Sturmbauer C. 2005. Evolutionary relationships of the Limnochromini, a tribe of benthic deep water cichlid fishes endemic to Lake Tanganyika, East Africa. Journal of Molecular Evolution 60, 277-289.