Birds, lizards and tadpole shrimp: biodiversity of animals in Qatar as seen in the field and in the lab

Synopsis:

Synopsis of the talk: There is no river or natural lake in Qatar, yet there are native freshwater species in the country. How can that be? A group of crustaceans have a special adaptation that allows them to live in temporary freshwater rain pools. In a short span of time, sometimes as short as one week, the animals eat, mate, lay eggs, then die when the water dries up. The eggs lay dormant, sometimes as long as a decade or two. When the next rain arrives, the freshwater pool returns, the eggs hatch and the cycle continues. It is believed that quite a few species evolved in this condition to avoid predation from permanent freshwater predators, such as fish. This talk will focus on tadpole shrimp or Triops (three-eyed animal), the largest of the crustacean animals, on their life history, geographic distribution, and evolution. The talk will conclude with an overview of the ecological projects carried out in our lab.