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Alexander Suh is a professor of molecular biodiversity research at the University of Bonn and director of the Center for Molecular Biodiversity Research at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change. His research focuses on evolutionary genomics, with a particular emphasis on the evolutionary mechanisms that shape sex- and tissue-specific differences in genomes.
After earning his Ph.D. and habilitation in biology at the University of Münster and Uppsala University in Sweden, Alexander Suh held various international positions, including research and teaching roles in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. He combines state-of-the-art molecular biology methods with comparative genomics to unravel the evolutionary history of birds and other organisms.
His work has contributed significantly to our understanding of the role of retrotransposons in the evolution of sex chromosomes and provides important insights into the mechanisms that shape biodiversity at the molecular level. Alexander Suh is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and is actively involved in training the next generation of evolutionary biologists.The Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb) is an international leader in innovative and integrative biodiversity change research across ecological and evolutionary time scales. The zmb redefines collection-based molecular research by integrating interdisciplinary expertise with cutting-edge infrastructures to drive and disseminate both basic and applied research.
Projects
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Work Package 1 at the Leibniz Lab for Pandemic Preparedness
Management: Prof Dr Alexander Suh
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Evolution and development of the plug, a transient novel tissue in ricefishes
Management: Dr Julia Schwarzer
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GermlineChrom
Management: Prof Dr Alexander Suh
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SeaLion - polarised quartet analysis in phylogenomics
Management: Dr Patrick Kück
Publications
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2026/09
The mechanistic and evolutionary diversity of programmed DNA elimination
Nature Reviews Genetics
2026/08
The complete genome of a songbird
Cell, 16, 189
2026/05
Elevated retrocopy burden and sloth-specific expansions illuminate mammalian genome evolution
BMC Biology
2026/05
Chromosome-level genome assembly of the sand martin (Riparia riparia)
Scientific data
2026/04
Persistent conflict in palaeognath phylogeny revealed by quartet-based and ML analyses
Frontiers in Zoology
2026/03
Paralog-aware assembly and filtering strategies reveal minimal nucleotide variation on the macro germline-restricted chromosome of the zebra finch
Heredity
2026/02
Transposable element activity and polymorphisms drive structural variability within and between individual in bivalves
2025/12
The germline-restricted chromosome orchestrates germ cell development in passerine birds
2025/10
A mosaic of modular variation at a single gene underpins convergent plumage coloration
Science, 6770, 390
2025/10
Evolution of large polymorphic inversions in a panmictic songbird
Molecular Biology and Evolution
2025/10
Accumulation of a biparentally-inherited Neptune transposable element in natural Killifish hybrids (Fundulus diaphanus × F. heteroclitus)
Molecular Biology and Evolution
2025/10
Chromosome-level assembly of the club-legged grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus) genome
G3
2025/09
Retrocopy formation and domestication shape genome evolution in sloths and other xenarthrans
2025/07
Programmed DNA elimination drives rapid genomic innovation in two thirds of all bird species
2025/07
Programmed DNA elimination drives rapid genomic innovation in two thirds of all bird species
bioRxiv
2025/07
Germline-restricted chromosome of songbirds has different centromere compared to regular chromosomes
Heredity
2025/05
Mechanisms and timing of programmed DNA elimination in songbirds
2025/05
Accumulation of a biparentally-inherited Neptune transposable element in natural Killifish hybrids (Fundulus diaphanus × F. heteroclitus)
bioRxiv
2025/05
Type genomics: a framework for integrating genomic data into biodiversity and taxonomic research
Systematic Biology, 6, 74
2025/02
The role of transposon activity in shapingcis-regulatory element evolution after whole genome duplication
Genome Research
2024/12
Teaching transposon classification as a means to crowd source the curation of repeat annotation – a tardigrade perspective
Mobile DNA, 1, 15
2024/12
Chromosome-level genome assembly of the morabine grasshopper Vandiemenella viatica19
Scientific data, 1, 11
2024/10
Orthopteran Neo‐Sex Chromosomes Reveal Dynamics of Recombination Suppression and Evolution of Supergenes
Molecular Ecology
2024/09
Contemporary intergeneric hybridization and backcrossing among birds-of-paradise
Evolution Letters, 5, 8
2024/08
The genomes of all lungfish inform on genome expansion and tetrapod evolution
Nature
2024/07
Hybridization in birds-of-paradise: Widespread ancestral gene flow despite strong sexual selection in a lek-mating system
iScience, 7, 27
2024/06
Genomic landscapes of divergence among island bird populations: Evidence of parallel adaptation but at different loci?
Molecular Ecology, 12, 33
2024/04
Different Host–Endogenous Retrovirus Relationships between Mammals and Birds Reflected in Genome-Wide Evolutionary Interaction Patterns
Genome Biology and Evolution, 4, 16
2024/04
Genotype–environment associations reveal genes potentially linked to avian malaria infection in populations of an endemic island bird
Molecular Ecology, 8, 33
2024/02
A chromosome-level assembly of the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus genome with annotation of its repetitive elements
G3, 2, 14
2023/12
Songbird germline-restricted chromosome as a potential arena of genetic conflicts
Current Opinion in Genetics & Development, 83
2023/07
Rapid gene content turnover on the germline-restricted chromosome in songbirds
Nature communications, 1, 14
2023/06
An annotated chromosome-scale reference genome for Eastern black-eared wheatear (Oenanthe melanoleuca)
G3, 6, 13
2023/05
Micro Germline-Restricted Chromosome in Blue Tits: Evidence for Meiotic Functions
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 5, 40
2023/05
Caecilian Genomes Reveal the Molecular Basis of Adaptation and Convergent Evolution of Limblessness in Snakes and Caecilians
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 5, 40
2023/04
Runs of homozygosity reveal past bottlenecks and contemporary inbreeding across diverging populations of an island‐colonizing bird
Molecular Ecology, 8, 32
2023/03
Satellite DNA evolution in Corvoidea inferred from short and long reads
Molecular Ecology, 6, 32
2023/02
Genomic architecture of migration timing in a long-distance migratory songbird
Scientific reports, 1, 13
2023/02
Divergent sensory and immune gene evolution in sea turtles with contrasting demographic and life histories
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 7, 120
2023/01
The swan genome and transcriptome, it is not all black and white
Genome Biology, 1, 24
2022/09
Orthologous microsatellites, transposable elements, and DNA deletions correlate with generation time and body mass in neoavian birds
Science advances, 35, 8
2022/09
Mendelian nightmares: the germline-restricted chromosome of songbirds
Chromosome Research, 2, 30
2022/06
The genomic basis of the plant island syndrome in Darwin’s giant daisies
Nature communications, 1, 13
2022/06
Genomic associations with poxvirus across divergent island populations in Berthelot's pipit
Molecular Ecology, 11, 31
2022/02
Transposon- and Genome Dynamics in the Fungal Genus Neurospora: Insights from Nearly Gapless Genome Assemblies
Fungal Genetics Reports, 1, 66
2022/02
Recurrent chromosome reshuffling and the evolution of neo-sex chromosomes in parrots
Nature communications, 1, 13
2022/01
The hidden structural variability in avian genomes
2022/01
Phylogenetic definitions for 25 higher-level clade names of birds
Avian Research, 13
2022/01
Horizontal Transposon Transfer and Its Implications for the Ancestral Ecology of Hydrophiine Snakes
Genes, 2, 13
2022/01
Seasonal migration patterns and the maintenance of evolutionary diversity in a cryptic bird radiation
Molecular Ecology, 2, 31
2021/12
Genome Stability Is in the Eye of the Beholder: CR1 Retrotransposon Activity Varies Significantly across Avian Diversity
Genome Biology and Evolution, 12, 13
2021/12
TE Hub: A community-oriented space for sharing and connecting tools, data, resources, and methods for transposable element annotation
Mobile DNA, 1, 12
2021/09
Horizontal transfer and subsequent explosive expansion of a DNA transposon in sea kraits ( Laticauda )
Biology letters, 9, 17
2021/09
The avian W chromosome is a refugium for endogenous retroviruses with likely effects on female-biased mutational load and genetic incompatibilities
Philosophical transactions - Royal Society. Biological sciences, 1833, 376
2021/08
A brief review of vertebrate sex evolution with a pledge for integrative research: towards ‘ sexomics ’
Philosophical transactions - Royal Society. Biological sciences, 1832, 376
2021/07
Genetic Barriers to Historical Gene Flow between Cryptic Species of Alpine Bumblebees Revealed by Comparative Population Genomics
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 8, 38
2021/06
New Perspectives on the Evolution of Within-Individual Genome Variation and Germline/Soma Distinction
Genome Biology and Evolution, 6, 13
2021/06
Unboxing mutations: Connecting mutation types with evolutionary consequences
Molecular Ecology, 12, 30
2021/06
Meiosis and beyond – understanding the mechanistic and evolutionary processes shaping the germline genome
Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, 3, 96
2021/05
The Enterprise , a massive transposon carrying Spok meiotic drive genes
Genome Research, 5, 31
2021/04
Genome Size Reduction and Transposon Activity Impact tRNA Gene Diversity While Ensuring Translational Stability in Birds
Genome Biology and Evolution, 4, 13
2021/03
Long-term persistence of supernumerary B chromosomes in multiple species of Astyanax fish
BMC biology, 19
2021/01
Horizontal Transfer of Transposons as Genomic Fossils of Host-Parasite Interactions
2021/01
Identifying the causes and consequences of assembly gaps using a multiplatform genome assembly of a bird‐of‐paradise
Molecular Ecology resources, 1, 21
2020/12
Comparative analysis of morabine grasshopper genomes reveals highly abundant transposable elements and rapidly proliferating satellite DNA repeats
BMC Biology, 1, 18
2020/12
New Environment, New Invaders—Repeated Horizontal Transfer of LINEs to Sea Snakes
Genome Biology and Evolution, 12, 12
2020/11
Dense sampling of bird diversity increases power of comparative genomics
Nature, 7833, 587
2020/09
Why Do Some Sex Chromosomes Degenerate More Slowly Than Others? The Odd Case of Ratite Sex Chromosomes
Genes, 10, 11
2020/09
Linked‐read sequencing enables haplotype‐resolved resequencing at population scale
Molecular Ecology resources, 5, 20
2020/08
The tuatara genome reveals ancient features of amniote evolution
Nature, 7821, 584
2020/07
Discovery and population genomics of structural variation in a songbird genus
Nature communications, 1, 11
2020/03
Genome Report: De novo genome assembly and annotation for the Taita white-eye ( Zosterops silvanus )
2019/12
Nucleotide composition of transposable elements likely contributes to AT/GC compositional homogeneity of teleost fish genomes
Mobile DNA, 1, 10
2019/11
Programmed DNA elimination of germline development genes in songbirds
Nature communications, 1, 10
2019/10
Genome-wide evidence supports mitochondrial relationships and pervasive parallel phenotypic evolution in open-habitat chats
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 139
2019/06
Repetitive DNA: The Dark Matter of Avian Genomics
2019/05
Comparative analyses identify genomic features potentially involved in the evolution of birds-of-paradise
Gigascience, 5, 8
2019/04
The Genome of Blue-Capped Cordon-Bleu Uncovers Hidden Diversity of LTR Retrotransposons in Zebra Finch
Genes, 4, 10
2019/04
Dynamic evolutionary history and gene content of sex chromosomes across diverse songbirds
Nature Ecology & Evolution, 5, 3
2019/04
Genome Size Evolution: Small Transposons with Large Consequences
Current Biology, 7, 29
2019/01
Parallel plumage colour evolution and introgressive hybridization in wheatears
Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 1, 32
2018/12
Bridging gaps in transposable element research with single-molecule and single-cell technologies
Mobile DNA, 1, 9
2018/11
How complete are “complete” genome assemblies?—An avian perspective
Molecular Ecology resources, 6, 18
2018/05
Improved Genome Assembly and Annotation for the Rock Pigeon ( Columba livia )
G3, 5, 8
2018/01
Natural selection beyond genes: Identification and analyses of evolutionarily conserved elements in the genome of the collared flycatcher (Ficedula albicollis)
Molecular Ecology, 2, 27
2018/01
Abundant recent activity of retrovirus‐like retrotransposons within and among flycatcher species implies a rich source of structural variation in songbird genomes
Molecular Ecology, 1, 27
2017/12
De-novo emergence of SINE retroposons during the early evolution of passerine birds
Mobile DNA, 1, 8
2017/10
Rapid Increase in Genome Size as a Consequence of Transposable Element Hyperactivity in Wood-White (Leptidea) Butterflies
Genome Biology and Evolution, 10, 9
2017/09
Deciphering the Origin and Evolution of Hepatitis B Viruses by Means of a Family of Non-enveloped Fish Viruses
Cell Host & Microbe, 3, 22
2017/08
Whole‐genome patterns of linkage disequilibrium across flycatcher populations clarify the causes and consequences of fine‐scale recombination rate variation in birds
Molecular Ecology, 16, 26
2017/05
Combination of short-read, long-read, and optical mapping assemblies reveals large-scale tandem repeat arrays with population genetic implications
Genome Research, 5, 27
2017/02
Dynamics of genome size evolution in birds and mammals
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 8, 114
2017/02
Evolution of bird genomes—a transposon's‐eye view
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1, 1389
2017/01
Evolution and Diversity of Transposable Elements in Vertebrate Genomes
Genome Biology and Evolution, 1, 9
2016/10
Evolution of heterogeneous genome differentiation across multiple contact zones in a crow species complex
Nature communications, 1, 7
2016/10
The phylogenomic forest of bird trees contains a hard polytomy at the root of Neoaves
Zoologica scripta, S1, 45
2016/04
Ancient horizontal transfers of retrotransposons between birds and ancestors of human pathogenic nematodes
Nature communications, 1, 7
2015/12
Phylogenomic analyses data of the avian phylogenomics project
Gigascience, 1, 4
2015/11
Linked selection and recombination rate variation drive the evolution of the genomic landscape of differentiation across the speciation continuum of Ficedula flycatchers
Genome Research, 11, 25
2015/08
The Specific Requirements for CR1 Retrotransposition Explain the Scarcity of Retrogenes in Birds
Journal of Molecular Evolution, 1-2, 81
2015/08
The Dynamics of Incomplete Lineage Sorting across the Ancient Adaptive Radiation of Neoavian Birds
PLoS Biology, 8, 13
2015/06
Evolutionary analysis of the female-specific avian W chromosome
Nature communications, 1, 6
2015/06
Targeted Capture of Phylogenetically Informative Ves SINE Insertions in Genus Myotis
Genome Biology and Evolution, 6, 7
2015/01
Multiple Lineages of Ancient CR1 Retroposons Shaped the Early Genome Evolution of Amniotes
Genome Biology and Evolution, 1, 7
2014/12
Early Mesozoic Coexistence of Amniotes and Hepadnaviridae
PLoS Genetics, 12, 10
2014/12
Three crocodilian genomes reveal ancestral patterns of evolution among archosaurs
Science, 6215, 346
2014/12
Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds
Science, 6215, 346
2013/04
The genome of a Mesozoic paleovirus reveals the evolution of hepatitis B viruses
Nature communications, 1, 4
2012/11
New insights into the larval development of Macandrevia cranium (Müller, 1776) (Brachiopoda: Rhynchonelliformea)
Zoologischer Anzeiger, 4, 251
2012/10
A universal method for the study of CR1 retroposons in nonmodel bird genomes
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 29
2012/05
A retroposon-based view on the temporal differentiation of sex chromosomes
Mobile Genetic Elements, 3, 2
2011/08
Mesozoic retroposons reveal parrots as the closest living relatives of passerine birds
Nature communications, 2
2011/06
Retroposon insertions and the chronology of avian sex chromosome evolution.
Molecular Biology and Evolution, 28