Helena Teixeira
Helena Teixeira, MSc.
Doctoral student
Project: Reconstructing the past: demographic fluctuations in dynamics landscapes modelled for mouse lemurs in Madagascar.
Marked climatic oscillations between glacial and interglacial periods had worldwide consequences for vegetation and consequently for animal population dynamics. Mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) are forest-dwelling primates’ endemic to Madagascar and are particularly impacted by these changes. Therefore, they provide an excellent study model to investigate the impact of the last glaciation on the species’ demographic dynamics. The present project aims to investigate the impact of the last glaciation on the demography of three mouse lemurs’ species (M. murinus, M. ravelobensis and M. arnholdi) in Ankarafantsika National Park and Montagne d’Ambre National Park using various Next Generation Sequencing technologies and different state-of-the-art modelling approaches.
Helena Teixeira, MSc.
Professional and scientific career
2016
Genetic study of Guinea baboon (2 months). Internship under the Robert Glaser Travel Grant; German Primate Center GmbH - Leibniz-Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany; Coordination: Dr. Dietmar Zinner.
2015 - 2016
“Landscape genetics of Guinea baboon: assessing population structure, gene flow dynamics and functional connectivity with molecular and spatial tools”. Master thesis in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (12 months). Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetics Resources, University of Porto, Portugal; Coordination: Dr. MJ Ferreira da Silva and Dr. José Carlos Brito.
2014 - 2016
Master student in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution, Research Center in Biodiversity and Genetics Resources, University of Porto, Portugal
2014 - 2015
“Exploring Biodiversity and Ecological Networks for Forest Conservation and Restoration in Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique” (15 months). Research fellowship. Centre for Funcional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Portugal; Coordination: Dr. Susana Rodriguez Echeverría.
2013 - 2014
“Genetic and demographic consequences of habitat loss and fragmentation in
Madagascar, a biodiversity hotspot” (12 months). OptimusAlive!13 Research fellowship in
Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution. Population and Conservation Genetics Group - Instituto
Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal; Coordination: Dr. Lounès Chikhi.
2013
Field Work in Madagascar (3 months): Installation of Sherman traps in order to capture
rodents and small lemurs; sampling and morphological analysis of the captured individuals;
nocturnal distance. University of Mahajanga, Madagascar; Population and Conservation
Genetics Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Portugal. Coordination: Dr. Lounès Chikhi and
Dr. Jordi Salmona.
2012 - 2013
“Climate Change over the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic Islands: a
dendroclimatic and genetic survey of the genus Juniperus” (18 months). Research fellowship.
Centre for Funcional Ecology, University of Coimbra, Portugal. Coordination: Dr. Susana
Rodriguez Echeverría and Dr. Cristina Nabais.
2011
Genetic study of Iberian-Wolf from non-invasive fecal samples* (6 months). Training
Placement. Centre for Environmental Biology, University of Lisbon, Portugal. Coordination: Dr.
Petrucci-Fonseca.
2008 - 2011
Licentiate in Biotechnology, Coimbra Higher School of Agriculture, Portugal;
Awards & Grants
2019
Maria Sibylla Merian Award in the category “First Runner-up Poster” at Joint BES7/GTÖ Unifying Tropical Ecology meeting 2019 in Edinburgh (Scotland)
2016
Robert Glaser Travel Grant, awarded by the German Gesellschaft für Primatologie, with
the research project “Modelling Guinea baboon gene flow in the entire distribution range to
improve local conservation management”.
2013
Optimus Alive Research fellow in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution.
Publications
I. Articles in peer reviewed journals
2018
Salmona, J; Rasolondraibe E; Jan F; Rakotonanahary AN; Ralantoharijaona T; Le Pors B; Ousseni DSA, Aleixo-Pais I; Marques AJD; Sgarlata GM; Teixeira H; Gabillaud V; Miller A; Ibouroi MT; Zaonarivelo JR; Andriaholinirina NV; Chikhi L (2018), Re-discovering the forgotten Phaner population of the small and isolated Analafiana forest (Vohémar, SAVA). Lemur News 21 (2018): 31-36
2016
Teixeira H, Koop G, Zinner D, Brito JC, Ferreira da Silva MJ (2016). Modelling Gene Flow in the
Entire Distribution Range of Guinea Baboons, FOLIA PRIMATOL; 87: 165. DOI:
10.1159/000449293
Rodríguez-Echeverría, S., Teixeira, H., Correia, M., Timóteo, S., Heleno, R., Öpik, M. and Moora,
M. (2016), Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities from tropical Africa reveal strong
ecological structure. New Phytologist. doi:10.1111/nph.14122
Teixeira, H., Rodríguez-Echeverría, S. (2016). Identification of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria
from three African leguminous trees in Gorongosa National Park. Systematic and Applied
Microbiology.
2015
Salmona, J, Teixeira H, Rasolondraibe E, Aleixo-Pais I, Kun-Rodrigues C, Rakotonanahary A, Jan
F, Rabarivola Cj, Zaonarivelo Jr, Andriaholinirina Volasoa N, Chikhi L (2015). Genetic Diversity,
Population Size, and Conservation of the Critically Endangered Perrier’s Sifaka (Propithecus
perrieri). International Journal of Primatology, p-1-22. DOI 10.1007/s10764-015-9881-x
2014
Teixeira, H., Rodríguez-Echeverría, S., & Nabais, C. (2014). Genetic diversity and differentiation
of Juniperus thurifera in Spain and Morocco as determined by SSR. PloS one, 9(2), e88996.
II. Abstracts of international conferences and invited talks
2019
Teixeira, H; Salmona, J; Radespiel, U. “Genomic assessment of hybridization between the distantly related Microcebus murinus and M. ravelobensis species in northwestern Madagascar” (Poster) April 8-12, 2019, Edinburgh (Scotland) – Joint BES7/GTÖ Unifying Tropical Ecology meeting 2019
Teixeira, H; Salmona, J; Radespiel, U. “Genomic signals of natural hybridization between Microcebus murinus and M. ravelobensis in northwestern Madagascar” (Talk) February 13-15, 2019, Göttingen (Germany) – 16th Conference of the Gesellschaft für Primatologie.
2016
Teixeira, H; Campos, JC; Koop, G; Zinner D; Brito JC; Ferreira da Silva M; “Landscape genetics of
guinea baboon: assessing population structure, gene flow dynamics, and functional
connectivity with molecular and spatial tools” (Talk) November 28-29, 2016, Vairão, University of
Porto (Portugal) - TiBE, Trends in Biodiversity and Evolution - Tropical Biodiversity.
2015
Teixeira, H; Koop, G; Zinner, D; Brito, JC; Ferreira da Silva, MJ. “Modelling gene flow in the entire
distribution range of guinea baboons”. November 17-20, 2015, Évora (Portugal) - V Iberian Primatological Conference.
Teixeira, H; Rodríguez-Echeverría, S; Correia, M; Timóteo, S; Heleno, R; “The biodiversity right beneath our eyes: Using above and belowground approaches to understand the ecological units of the Gorongosa National Park – Mozambique”. (Talk) June 16-19, 2015, Coimbra (Portugal) - 4º Encontro Ibérico de Ecologia.
Teixeira, H; Rodríguez-Echeverría, S; “Genetic diversity of bacteria nodulating leguminous trees
in the Gorongosa National Park (Mozambique)”. June 16-19, 2015, Coimbra (Portugal) - 4º Encontro Ibérico de Ecologia.
Rodríguez-Echeverría, S; Teixeira, H; Nabais, C; Garcia, C; “Genetic variation of Juniperus
phoenicea turbinata across its Western distribution range”. June 16-19, 2015, Coimbra
(Portugal) - 4º Encontro Ibérico de Ecologia.
2013
Teixeira, H; "Biodiversity in Madagascar island: a field work approach". (Talk) December 3, 2013.
Centro de Ecologia Funcional, Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal) - Ciclo de Palestras Cientificas do CEF.
Teixeira H; DeSoto L; “Climate change over the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic Islands:
a dendroclcimatic and genetic survey of the genus Juniperus”. (Talk) November 13, 2012, Vairão,
University of Porto (Portugal) - CIBIO meeting “The multifarious evolutionary consequences of dispersal and gene flow: mating patterns, colonization, contemporary adaptation and speciation”
Kontakt
| Tel.: | +49 511 953-8430 |
| Fax.: | +49 511 953-8586 |