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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
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Department of Paleobiology

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  • Bert Van Bocxlaer
  • Peter Buck post-doctoral Fellow
  • Phone:   202-633-1316
  • Fax:   202-786-2832
  • E-mail Address:   vanbocxlaerb
  • Mailing Address:
    Smithsonian Institution
    PO Box 37012, MRC 121
    Washington, DC 20013-7012
  • Shipping Address:
    Smithsonian Institution
    National Museum of Natural History
    10th & Constitution NW
    Washington, DC 20560-0121
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Education

Ph.D. Ghent University, 2011
M. S. Ghent University, 2004

Research Interests

I study the process of speciation and organismal diversification (radiation) of freshwater mollusks in the East African Great Lakes. While the rift developed geologically and the hydrological conditions in basins changed, different mollusk taxa diversified to different degrees within lake basins. Evolution of the same taxon in separate lake basins regularly resulted in different outcomes. Studying fossil and modern taxa I aim to isolate how ecological factors lead to different patterns of diversification. In doing so, I explore the relation between molecular and morphological evolution, morphological character displacement and the traits under selection.