​My ongoing research lies at the interface between evolution and ecology. My work addresses how historical, phylogenetic and spatial patterns of eco-morphological and lineage diversity are influenced by biotic and abiotic factors and the interaction between them. 
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Hence, some of the questions I try to ask with my work include:

-Why do some groups have such tremendous ecological and morphological diversity? Why many others ("morphostatic" radiations) does not show remarkable disparity?
-Why do some biogeographic regions harbor greater diversity than others? Which is the role of niche conservatism in shaping distribution patterns?
-How does ecological opportunity influence rates of speciation-extinction, and morphological diversification in vertebrates?
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Ongoing projects

Speciation and phenotypic evolution in vertebrate Australasian radiations 

Australia and nearby islands have been exemplary subjects for studies of radiations of endemic biota throughout the last century. In fact, some Australian radiations -mainly marsupials- inspired the seminal work of George G. Simpson, who coined the term “ecological opportunity”, and is nowadays considered one the most influential evolutionary biologists. In collaboration with researchers at several Australian institutions, I am trying to disentangle the evolutionary and ecological processes responsible for generating exceptional patterns of biodiversity in this region. Specifically, I am currently interested in how species richness accumulates, how the rate of evolution differs among lineages and over evolutionary time and the mechanisms driving these varying rates of change using as study system some iconic radiations.

 Evolutionary and ecological perspectives on the diversification of the most diversified mammalian clade: the Rodentia

In terms of abundance, diversity and distribution, the order Rodentia constitutes the most successful group in the class Mammalia. Rodents inhabit all continents except Antarctica, and they occur in a variety of environments including terrestial, arboreal, fossorial and aquatic habitats. Their social and reproductive behaviours are also diverse and intriguing, which has prompted a large body of literature. Consequently, sufficient comparative data are available for some clades of rodents making them excellent models for using phylogenetic comparative methods. By means of this approach, I try to develop conceptual models that predict how environmental factors interact with life-history and morphological traits leading to a stunning array of adaptations that may explain the success of this taxonomic group in colonizing new environments and its rapid diversification.     

Eco-phylogenetics: relating community patterns to processes

I am also interested in the role that large-scale processes, such as dispersal and colonization, and evolutionary background have in shaping local communities. This merging field (“eco-phylogenetics”) which reconciles macroevolutionary processes acting a global or regional scale with ecological processes like biotic interactions generally interpreted at small (local) scale constitutes a promising venue of research as it promotes the incorporation of evolution and historical contingencies into the ecological research agenda. My work within this research line seeks to elucidate patterns and processes in spatial distributions of species at different scales (regional: realms, and local: communities) as well as factors involved in the temporal variability of phylogenetic and functional diversity, a key issue to better understand how biological communities respond to climate and land use change.