Christina Nokkala
PhD, Docent
Department of Biology chrinok@utu.fi +358 29 450 4223 +358 50 438 6924 Vesilinnantie 5 Turku Office: 313 |
Evolutionary genetics, cytogenetics, teaching genetics
I enjoy going out to nature to collect material in its natural habitat and subsequently processing it with various methods in laboratory to find answers to questions presented in the study at hand. The subjects of my studies include intra- and interspecies chromosomal polymorphism, speciation, phylogenetic relationships between species and combined chromosome and DNA level studies in solving various evolutionary problems.
At present, my research has been focused on the phylogeography, phylogenetic relationships and the evolutionary importance of parthenogenetic mode of reproduction in the Psyllid genus Cacopsylla. Parthenogenesis has conventionally been regarded as an evolutionary dead end, but recent studies have challenged this assumption. One goal in a combined chromosome and DNA level study is to show that with certain premises a novel bisexual species may develop from parthenogenetic Cacopsylla.
- Petter Erik Portin 1940-2023 (2023)
- Turun Sanomat
(Other publication) - Petter Portin 1940-2023 (2023)
- Helsingin Sanomat
(E1 Popularised article) - Evolutionary Potential of Parthenogenesis-Bisexual Lineages within Triploid Apomictic Thelytoky in Cacopsylla ledi (Flor, 1861) (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) in Fennoscandia (2022)
- Insects
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Phylogeography and Wolbachia Infections Reveal Postglacial Recolonization Routes of the Parthenogenetic Plant Louse Cacopsylla myrtilli (W. Wagner 1947), (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) (2022)
- Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Using functional traits and phylogeny to understand local extinction risk in dragonflies and damselflies (Odonata) (2022)
- Ecology and Evolution
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - The incidence of Wolbachia bacterial endosymbiont in bisexual and parthenogenetic populations of the psyllid genus Cacopsylla (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) (2021)
- Insects
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Challenges in understanding meiosis: fostering metaconceptual awareness among university biology students (2020)
- Journal of Biological Education
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Description of two new species of the genus Cacopsylla Ossiannilsson, 1970 (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) from northern Fennoscandia recognized by morphology, cytogenetic characters and COI barcode sequence (2019)
- Comparative Cytogenetics
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Characteristics of parthenogenesis in Cacopsylla ledi (Flor, 1861) (Hemiptera, Sternorryncha, Psylloidea): cytological and molecular approaches (2017)
- Comparative Cytogenetics
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Rare diploid females coexist with rare males: a novel fiparthenogenetic populations in the psyllid Cacopsylla myrtilli (W. Wagner, nding in triploid 1947) (Hemiptera, Psylloidea) in northern Europe (2015)
- Genetica
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Meiosis in rare males in parthenogenetic Cacopsylla myrtilli (Wagner, 1947) (Hemiptera, Psyllidae) populations from northern Europe (2013)
- Comparative Cytogenetics
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Opetusmenetelmän vaikutus meioosin käsitteen oppimiseen (2013)
- Yliopistopedagogiikka
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Cytogenetics of the true bug infraorder Cimicomorpha (Hemiptera, Heteroptera): a review (2011)
- ZooKeys
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal) - Direction of karyotype evolution in the bug family Nabidae (Heteroptera): New evidence from 18S rDNA analysis (2007)
- European Journal of Entomology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)