Author Archives: Ben Wielstra

Over a decade ago, Christine Grossen and colleagues raised an interesting hypothesis that the two versions of chromosome 1 in Triturus newts, 1A and 1B – responsible for the balanced lethal system – used to be distinct versions of a … Continue reading →

‘Target enrichment by sequence capture’ is a nice technique to get plenty of DNA data, for a specific, predetermined part of the genome. You just extract DNA from a sample, cut it up, label it, and then pull out your … Continue reading →

It is quite easy to tell apart males and females of the smooth newt species complex (Lissotriton vulgaris and related species) when observing adults in ponds during the breeding season. They clearly differ by their secondary sexual characteristics: males are … Continue reading →

In the balanced lethal system in Triturus newts, individuals that inherit either the 1A or the 1B version of chromosome 1 twice will experience developmental arrest and die halfway embryonic development. Before that time, it has been impossible to predict … Continue reading →

The Near Eastern newts of the genus Neurergus are spectacular salamanders that seem to lack a proper common name. Because many of the species have at one time or another been referred to as ‘something something mountain newt’, let’s go … Continue reading →

The balanced lethal system in Triturus newts is well-suited to teach biology students basic principles about natural selection and genetic linkage. This was the motivation behind a paper led by my PhD student Willem Meilink published in Ecology and Evolution. … Continue reading →

Genetic pollution, gene flow from invasive to native species species, poses a complicated conservation question. It is well-known in crested newts. Why should we care about genetic pollution? To put it bluntly, genetic pollution equals extinction. In a ‘scientists’ warning’ … Continue reading →

The two PhD students on my ERC StG project, Manon de Visser and James France, graduated this spring. All their chapters are currently in the submission / revision process, more on the exciting science soon! For now: congratulations again! This … Continue reading →

Relationships within the newt genus Lissotriton, which includes the smooth newt, have always been difficult to interpret. Similarly, the taxonomy is quite confused: it is unclear how many species there even are. In a paper led by my former MSc … Continue reading →

The awesome banded newt genus comprises three cryptic species that are really old and have little to no genetic exchange between them. However, the ancestral banded newt appears to have radiated into three species in a relatively short time span. … Continue reading →