Prof. Dr. Jacintha Ellers

Curriculum vitae & Publications

Research interests

I am interested in the interplay between genes and environment in shaping the life history and behaviour of organisms. I study how phenotypic plasticity evolves in response to abiotic conditions as well as biotic interactions. Especially under variable environmental conditions the potential for genomic evolution is limited so phenotypic plasticity is indispensable for adaptation.
My aim is to integrate evolutionary concepts into community ecology by using intraspecific variation in species traits and trait plasticity to understand the impact of climate change on species diversity and community composition.

My research emphasizes the combination of mechanistic and evolutionary approaches, linking the underlying genetic and physiological mechanisms to adaptive explanations. I use a variety of study systems, including Collembola, Drosophila, and parasitoids.

I am part of the Amsterdam Global Change Institute (AGCI) , an interdisciplinary group of researchers that aims to contribute to sustainable choices by integrating knowledge about changes in natural and social systems.

Selected Publications

Ellers, J., S. Rog, C. Braam and M.P. Berg (2011). Genotype richness and phenotypic dissimilarity enhance population performance. Ecology, 92: 1605-1615. PDF file

Berg, M.P., E.T. Kiers, G. Driessen, M. van der Heijden, B.W. Kooi, F. Kuenen, M. Liefting, H.A. Verhoef and J. Ellers (2010). Adapt or disperse: understanding species persistence in a changing world. Global Change Biology, 16: 587-598. PDF file

Visser, B., C. Le Lann, F.J. den Blanken, J.A. Harvey, J.J.M. van Alphen and J. Ellers (2010). Loss of lipid synthesis as an evolutionary consequence of a parasitic lifestyle. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 107: 8677-8682. PDF file

Bahrndorff, S., J. Mariën, V. Loeschcke and J. Ellers (2009). Dynamics of heat-induced thermal stress resistance and Hsp70 expression in the springtail, Orchesella cincta. Functional Ecology, 23: 233-239. PDF file

Liefting, M., A.A. Hoffmann and J. Ellers (2009). Plasticity versus environmental canalization: population differences in thermal responses along a latitudinal gradient in Drosophila serrata. Evolution, 63: 1954-1963. PDF file

Research project

My research focuses in three major areas:

1. Causes and consequences of phenotypic plasticity in traits
I use quantitative genetics, transcriptional profiling and biochemical analysis to study phenotypic plasticity in insects. One research line comprises work on temperature-induced phenotypic plasticity, showing that there is genetic variation for temperature responses and that these are under selection in the field, causing local adaptation. My aim is to understand how environmental variation induces either plasticity or canalization of fitness traits as a result of the degree of plasticity in underlying physiological traits.

Participants:Dick Roelofs, Cecile LeLann, Gerard Driessen, Jeff Harvey

A second research line addresses correlated evolution of plasticity using learning rate in parasitoid foraging behaviour as a model system. Behavioural learning is a special form of plasticity that occurs in many different contexts. Questions of interest are: Do parasitoids show the same propensity to learn when faced with different cues and rewards? Are the genes involved in learning the same in different contexts?

Participants:Yifu Pei, Hans Smid, Louise Vet, Jack Werren

2. Evolution of traits in species interactions 
I investigate evolutionary loss of traits in species interactions using parasitoids and their hosts as a model system. Most parasitoids lack de novo lipogenesis due to exploitation of host resources. This trait has been lost multiple times concurrent with the evolution of the parasitoid life style and has repeatedly re-evolved, refuting existing predictions from evolutionary theory. This work addresses phylogeny, molecular mechanisms and ecological consequences of trait loss.

Participants:Bertanne Visser, Dick Roelofs, Janine Marien, Dan Hahn

3. The role of trait diversity in community ecology  
I study the importance of trait diversity and plasticity for population performance and ecological communities under global change. With collaborators I develop a research template to apply the concept of trait plasticity to community ecology, leading to new theoretical advances in ecological modelling and experiments. This work is mainly carried out using the invertebrate community of the green beach of the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog. The concept of trait diversity is also applied to  quantify ecosystem services.

Participants:Matty Berg, Andre Dias, Hans Cornelissen, Matt Helmus, Jan Vermaat


I am also involved in a number of additional projects:

Female preference and fitness benefits of mate choice in species with indirect mating transfer
Participants: Valentina Zizzari

Effects of genetically modified crops with elevated glucosinolate levels on function and diversity of non-target soil invertebrates
Participants: Elaine van Ommen Kloeke, Dick Roelofs, Mark Aarts

Evolutionary signatures of sexual conflict in hermaphrodites: Reproductive morphology and semen composition
Participants: Joris Koene, Elferra Swart, Nico van Straalen