Jörg Plötner

Jörg Plötner is a researcher at the Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Research, specializing in molecular systematics and evolutionary genetics of amphibians. His work focuses on the western Palearctic water frogs (Rana esculenta complex), investigating hybridization patterns, mitochondrial DNA dynamics, and phylogeographic implications of geological/climate history.

• Key Research Themes: Hybrid zone analysis, non-LTR retrotransposon impact on gene evolution, mitochondrial genome divergence, and conservation genetics.
• Methodologies: Molecular phylogenetic analysis, PCR-RFLP techniques, reproductive biology studies, and population genetic modeling.

His publications span from 1983 to 2011, with a focus on anuran systematics, hybridization mechanisms, and environmental impacts on amphibian populations. Notably, he contributed to understanding unidirectional mitochondrial DNA transfer and the role of commercial trade in hybrid complex invasions.