Michaela Hau

Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
Research Group Evolutionary Physiology
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Ela’s main research interest is in trying to understand the ways in which animals are physiologically organized depending on the environment in which they live. She focuses on three physiological systems: i) reproduction, ii) endocrine control mechanisms, and iii) the circadian system. To study physiological adaptations, she compares bird populations across

 latitudes, both intraspecifically (using great tit, Parus major, populations across Europe) and interspecifically (temperate versus tropical birds). Ela’s research integrates physiology, ecology and evolution and is aimed at a functional understanding of short- and long-term animal-environment interactions.