Projects / Programmes
Zoological and speleobiological (biospeleological) investigations.
January 1, 1999
- December 31, 2003
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.03.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Biology |
|
| 1.05.00 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Biochemistry and molecular biology |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| B320 |
Biomedical sciences |
Systematic zoology, taxonomy, zoogeopraphy |
| B340 |
Biomedical sciences |
Animal anatomy, animal morphology |
| B380 |
Biomedical sciences |
Animal ethology and psychology |
| B210 |
Biomedical sciences |
Histology, cytochemistry, histochemistry, tissue culture |
| B360 |
Biomedical sciences |
Animal physiology |
| B260 |
Biomedical sciences |
Hydrobiology, marine biology, aquatic ecology, limnology |
Researchers (16)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
Investigations on animal wildlife in Slovenia as part of the European and global fauna; the main focus is on Slovenian fauna and species but, to broaden the view, we include also species from outside Slovenia within the framework of international collaboration. Our research is faunistic, organismal and structural, and includes conservational, ecological and ecotoxicological issues.
1 Phylogenetics and taxonomy of crustaceans, hirudineans, and amphibians;
1.1 Collecting and morphological analysis using ''classical'' and cladistic approaches;
1.2 Phylogeny reconstruction based on DNA sequences, timing of phylogenetic events;
2 Faunistic, biogeographic, and phylogeographic investigations based on phylogenetic and taxonomic data;
2.1 Fauna of Slovenia and adjoining regions (biodiversity mapping, assessment of conservation status);
2.2 Biogeographic patterns of karst areas (worldwide), parallels between biogeography and paleogeography, origin of cave species and faunas;
3 Biology and structure of crustaceans, mainly terrestrial isopods (Isopoda: Oniscidea); their application as indicators of soil contamination;
3.1 Investigations on the ultrastructure of their digestive tract and body wall, as well as on feeding and molting;
3.2 Investigations on the microflora of the digestive tract and its role in uptake of metals;
3.3 Investigations on the effects of essential and other metals on the organism, laboratory testing of toxic effects of metals in invertebrates at the cellular, organismal, and populational level;
3.4 Establishment for environmental standards for metals in soil ecosystems;
4. Biology of the cave salamander Proteus anguinus;
4.1 Investigations of racial differentiation by morphological and molecular analysis;
4.2 Investigations on feeding behavior and liver structure and metabolism with regard to the economical use of scarce food recourses;
4.3 Behavioral investigations of adaptations to the life in underground waters: communication between individuals, prey detection (mechanical, electrical, and magnetic perception), investigations of circadian and annual rhythms.
4.4 Functional-morphology and physiology of some organic systems, their reduction or adaptive progressive development: sensory cells in the pineal organ and retina, the rhythmics of melatonin synthesis;
5 Ecotoxicology and ecology of underground waters;
5.1 Study of distribution patterns of animals in underground waters unaffected by pollution and assessment of the effects of pollution;
5.2 Analysis of metals and other microelements in the habitat of Proteus and in its tissues; investigations of pathways of uptake, dispersal, and metabolism using radioactive isotopes and X-ray microanalysis.
Most important scientific results
Final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report
