I am investigating global diversity patterns on the basis of deep ancient lakes. Lakes, that are over a million years old and contain sufficient oxygen concentrations for metazoic life at 200 m of depth. Of these there are only 5 in the world: Lake Ohrid (the oldest lake in Europe), Lake Baikal (the oldest lake in Asia and the world), Lake Tanganyika (the oldest lake in Africa), Lake Malawi (located next to Lake Tanganyika and considered the richest in fish) and Lake Titicaca (oldest lake in America). Nobody knows exactly what actually lives there. This habitat is particularly interesting since the most important ecological parameters are constant: no light and virtually no temperature fluctuations over the course of the year.

University Bielefeld
Animal Ecology
Konsequenz 45
33615 Bielefeld
Germany

Office: VHF-113A

Tel: +49/ (0)521 / 106 2811

E-mail: benjamin.wildenATuni-bielefeld.de

Researchgate: Benjamin Wilden