danrusso@unina.it

Introducing AnEcoEvo

The Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Evolution (AnEcoEvo) is directed by Professor Danilo Russo. The research lines conducted by the Laboratory include the ecology, behaviour, and conservation biology of bats, with reference to forest, island, and desert environments. The methodologies employed range from ultrasonic detection to radio tracking, modelling the potential distribution, and molecular techniques for the study of trophic ecology. Despite the strong focus on bats as a model species, the Laboratory has also conducted investigations on birds, cerambycid insects, and rodents because, at AnEcoEvo, questions come before species!

Research Group Leader

Prof. Danilo Russo is a full professor of Ecology at Naples University Federico II and an honorary professor at the University of Bristol, UK. He obtained his PhD in Zoology from the University of Bristol in 2002. Currently, he serves as the head of the Animal Ecology and Evolution Laboratory in the Department of Agriculture at his university. His research interests encompass a wide range of subjects, including habitat selection, resource partitioning, sensory ecology, social behaviour, evolutionary biology, biogeography, and invasion ecology. While much of his research focuses on bats, he also investigates various other model organisms to address specific questions of interest.
From 2019 to 2023, Prof. Russo chaired the Scientific Committee of the UNEP/EUROBATS Agreement, which is responsible for the conservation of European bat populations. Additionally, he takes great pride in his role as the editor-in-chief of the highly esteemed zoological journal, Mammal Review. Furthermore, he is the main proposer and chair of the Management Committee for the EU COST Action "CLIMBATS" (CA18107), a significant initiative that explores the effects of climate change on bat populations.
Prof. Russo's contributions to the scientific community are exemplified by his publication record, which includes (as of July 2023) approximately 170scientific articles in internationally respected journals such as Nature Communications, Current Biology, Ecology Letters, and Biological Reviews. He has achieved an H-index of 47, underscoring the impact and significance of his work.
Having conducted fieldwork in diverse regions and environments across the globe, ranging from African rainforests to the Israeli desert and European beech woodlands, Prof. Russo possesses invaluable firsthand experience in various ecosystems.
Prof. Russo is very attentive to dissemination and communication. He has appeared on various radio and television programs in Italy and abroad, including SuperQuark, Indovina chi Viene a Cena, Progetto Scienza - STEM (Rai Scuola), and TG3 Leonardo. His research has been covered by numerous national and international publications, including National Geographic, Nature, Science, New Scientist, New York Times, BBC, Sky News, The Independent, The Telegraph, The Economist, Le Monde, and Repubblica.

Barbastella barbastellus (Barbastello)