Dr. Jan Hackel

My research area is evolutionary biogeography: I want to understand how patterns of distribution were shaped by speciation, extinction and dispersal. I use field expeditions, molecular lab work and modelling to study these processes. My focus is on plants and fungi.

Academic CV

• since 2023: Research fellow – Universität Marburg
• 2018-2022: Research fellow – Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (UK)
• 2017-2018: Assistant lecturer – Université Toulouse III (France)
• 2014-2017: PhD studies – Université Toulouse III (France)
• 2012-2014: MSc. Biodiversity, Ecology, Evolution – Université Toulouse III (France)
• 2008-2012: BSc. Biology – Universität Tübingen (Germany)

Research priorities

Grasses and grasslands

Grasses (family Poaceae) dominate roughly 40% of global land surface. I have worked, among other things, on the origins of grasslands in Madagascar. Currently, I continue work on the grasses on Madagascar and on phylogenomics of the grass family.

Macroevolutionary processes

Distribution patterns emerge through speciation, extinction and dispersal. These macroevolutionary processes can be reconstructed using phylogenetic trees. I am interested in particular in the factors affecting the dispersal of lineages.

Plant-symbiotic fungi

Close symbiotic relationships between plants and fungi are of biogeographic interest as the distribution of both partners is interdependent. I have worked on the biogeography of ectomycorrhizal fungi in the Neotropics. I am also interested in fungal endophytes of grasses.

Selected publications

See also my full list of publications on Google Scholar.

• Antonelli A.*, Smith R.J.*, Perrigo A.L.*, Crottini A.**, Hackel J.**, Testo W.**, Farooq H., Torres Jiménez M.F., Andela N., Andermann T., Andriamanohera A.M., Andriambololonera S., Bachman S.P., Bacon C.D., Baker W.J., Belluardo F., Birkinshaw C., Borrell J.S., Cable S., Canales N.A., Carrillo J.D., Clegg R., Clubbe C., Cooke R.S.C., Damasco G., Dhanda S., Edler D., Faurby S., de Lima Ferreira P., Fisher B.L., Forest F., Gardiner L.M., Goodman S.M., Grace O.M., Guedes T.B., Henniges M.C., Hill R., Lehmann C.E.R., Lowry P.P., Marline L., Matos-Maraví P., Moat J., Neves B., Nogueira M.G.C., Onstein R.E., Papadopulos A.S.T., Perez-Escobar O.A., Phelps L.N., Phillipson P.B., Pironon S., Przelomska N.A.S., Rabarimanarivo M., Rabehevitra D., Raharimampionona J., Rajaonah M.T., Rajaonary F., Rajaovelona L.R., Rakotoarinivo M., Rakotoarisoa A.A., Rakotoarisoa S.E., Rakotomalala H.N., Rakotonasolo F., Ralaiveloarisoa B.A., Ramirez-Herranz M., Randriamamonjy J.E.N., Randriamboavonjy T., Randrianasolo V., Rasolohery A., Ratsifandrihamanana A.N., Ravololomanana N., Razafiniary V., Razanajatovo H., Razanatsoa E., Rivers M., Sayol F., Silvestro D., Vorontsova M.S., Walker K., Walker B.E., Wilkin P., Williams J., Ziegler T., Zizka A., Ralimanana H.** (2022): Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity: Evolution, distribution, and use. Science 378: eabf0869. (*Co-lead authors; **section leads)
• Hackel J., Henkel T.W., Moreau P.-A., Courtecuisse R., Buyck B., De Crop E., Verbeken A., Neves M.A., Wartchow F., Sà M., Louisanna E., Schimann H., Garnica S., Manzi S., Roy M. (2022): Biogeographic history of a large clade of ectomycorrhizal fungi, the Russulaceae, in the Neotropics and adjacent regions. New Phytologist 236: 698-713.
• Hackel J., Sanmartín I. (2021): Modelling the tempo and mode of lineage dispersal. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 36: 1102–1112.
• Vorontsova M.S., Besnard G., Razanatsoa J., Hackel J. (2020): The endemic “sugar canes” of Madagascar (Saccharinae: Lasiorhachis) are close relatives of sorghum. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 192: 148-164.
• Bianconi M.*, Hackel J.*, Vorontsova M.S., Alberti A., Arthan W., Burke S.V., Duvall M.R., Kellogg E.A., Lavergne S., McKain M.R., Meunier A., Osborne C.P., Traiperm P., Christin P.-A., Besnard G. (2019): Continued adaptation of C₄ photosynthesis after an initial burst of changes in the Andropogoneae grasses. Systematic Biology 69: 445-461. (*co-lead authors)
• Hackel J., Vorontsova M.S., Nanjarisoa O.P., Hall R., Razanatsoa J., Malakasi P., Besnard G. (2018): Grass diversification in Madagascar: In situ radiation of two large C₃ shade clades and support for a Miocene to Pliocene origin of C₄ grassy biomes. Journal of Biogeography 45: 750-761.

Public outreach

Blog articles for Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew:

• Climbing Madagascar's highest mountain II (2022)
• Fungi in the Neotropics: on the move for millions of years (2022)
• Maize’s missing cousins: Shedding light on photosynthesis (2019)

Web profiles

ORCID | Google Scholar | Twitter