Life in the dark: Origin of insects among ancient cave crustaceans
Name of applicant
Niklas Dreyer
Title
Genomics Specialist
Institution
University of Copenhagen
Amount
DKK 2,063,876
Year
2025
Type of grant
Reintegration Fellowships
What?
Insects are the most diverse animals on land, but their origins remain a mystery. What if the key to their immensely successful conquering of land lies in the DNA of their closest relatives - blind, cave-dwelling crustaceans called Remipedia? This project investigates whether the conquest of land by insects began with ancestors whose evolutionary traits were forged in the darkness of marine caves.
Why?
Understanding how insects evolved from crustacean ancestors inhabiting marine caves would rewrite a key chapter in the evolution of terrestrial life. Studying these ancient adaptations and habitat transitions is important because they may not only reveal fundamental principles of biodiversity but may also provide deep insights into how species innovate and adapt to extreme environmental changes.
How?
By using the world's biggest Remipedia collection from the Natural History Museum of Denmark, this project will employ state-of-the-art DNA-sequencing and advanced imaging techniques. We will combine complete genomic blueprints with high-resolution anatomical scans to reconstruct the evolutionary pathway and pinpoint the genetic and morphological adaptations that enabled insects to invade land.