Katharina M. Jörger

Dr. Katharina M. Jörger is a researcher at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, specializing in the phylogeny and evolution of meiofaunal molluscs. Her work focuses on understanding the evolutionary relationships and ecological roles of small marine organisms, particularly within the Mollusca phylum. She holds a Ph.D. from LMU Munich, where her thesis explored molecular phylogeny of Acochlidia, a group of marine and freshwater gastropods. Her research integrates anatomical, genetic, and ecological approaches to address questions in systematic zoology and evolutionary biology.

Key areas of expertise include meiofaunal molluscs, molecular systematics, and cryptic species identification. She has contributed significantly to the study of Aplacophora (Solenogastres) and Acochlidimorpha, elucidating their phylogenetic relationships and ecological adaptations. Her work often emphasizes the development of novel methods for studying small, elusive organisms, such as 3D microanatomy and hybridization-based genetic capture techniques.

Dr. Jörger has conducted fieldwork in diverse locations, including the Azores, Antarctic regions, and the Caribbean, to document meiofaunal biodiversity. Her publications span topics like mitochondrial genome analysis, freshwater slug invasions, and deep-sea predation dynamics. She collaborates internationally on projects exploring meiofaunal ecology and evolutionary patterns.

Her research also addresses broader ecological questions, such as how meiofauna contributes to marine biodiversity and how taxonomic methods can better capture cryptic diversity. Despite no explicitly listed awards, her prolific publication record underscores her impactful contributions to mollusc systematics and evolutionary biology.