In the laboratory we concentrate on the analysis of evolutionary histories of speciose invertebrate animal groups inhabiting Lake Baikal. Through more than 25 millions of continuous existance of a large freshwater lake in confines of current Lake Baikal dramatic changes should have happened to its ecosystem due to changes of climate and tectonic transformations of the Baikal Rift. Amazing current diversity had been shaped to meet challenges offered by nature. Now there are more then 2000 species, most of which are endemic, inhabiting the lake. Some of animal groups formed so-called species flocks.
Mechanisms driving evolution of such huge species assemblages are still unknown to a great extent.
Using methods of molecular phylogenetics as well as more traditional zoological and ecological approaches we are trying to elucidate the history of evolutionary events and mechanisms which shape current animal communities.