Postdoctoral Research Associate
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University, New Jersey, USA
2021-2023
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Faculty
Faculty
Lotanna Micah Nneji, PhD (He/His)
Assistant Professor
Department/Office
- Biology
School/College
- College of Arts & Sciences
Biography
The Nneji Ecology, Genetics, Evolution and Conservation (NEGEC) Lab studies the diversity and distribution of amphibians, reptiles and fish in West and Central Africa using combined field surveys, morphological, ecological and genetic data to improve understanding of their ecology, adaptation patterns and conservation status. The NEGEC lab seeks to understand the evolutionary processes that govern the diversification of West and Central African wildlife and the impact of human activities and climate change on their diversity and distribution. Also, we are interested in understanding the feeding ecology of West and Central African mammals. We welcome students, postdocs, and collaborators interested in evolution, systematics, biogeography, phylogenetics, comparative genomics and trophic ecology of West and Central African fauna. We are dedicated to communicating science to a broad audience of students, teachers, and the public through conservation outreach programs in our study areas in West and Central Africa. Additionally, the NEGEC lab engages in citizen science, where we engage local community members in scientific data collection for research and conservation planning.
Education & Expertise
Education
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Herpetology
Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
2018-2020
PhD
Genetics
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
2015-2018
MSc
Zoology (Ecology and Environmental Biology)
University of Ibadan, Nigeria
2013-2015
BSc
Biology
University of Abuja, Nigeria
2006-2011
National Diploma
Science Laboratory Technology
Federal Polytechnic Oko, Nigeria
2002-2004
Expertise
Evolution, systematics, biogeography, phylogenetics, comparative genomics and trophic ecology of West and Central African fauna
Academics
Academics
BIOL240 (Evolution)
Research
Research
Specialty
Biogeography, ecology, evolution, systematics, comparative genomics, natural history, climate change studies, and conservation genetics of African wildlife (amphibians, reptiles and fish), as well as feeding ecology of West/Central African mammalsFunding
2023: Meridian National Geographic Grant: ‘Developing Multidisciplinary Approach towards sustainable conservation of the threatened Nigerian-Cameroon highlands’
2022: First Booster Rufford Small Grant: ‘Enhancing studies and sustainable conservation actions for amphibians and reptiles in highly biodiverse and threatened Nigerian montane regions’
2022: Emerging Conservationist Grant by the Conservation Nation for the project ‘Saving the Critically Endangered and Endemic Toad in Nigeria’.
2022: Future Conservationist Award by the Conservation Leadership Programme for the project ‘Conservation status of a poorly known and endemic lizard (Ondo Forest gecko) from Nigeria’
2021-24 : International Scientific Coordination Network - South (GDRI-Sud) to support ‘West African Marine Fish DNA Barcoding Network (WAMBA-net)’.
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
Related Articles
Selected Publications (* = Equal first authorship)
1. Bin Zuo, Lotanna M. Nneji, Yan-Bo Sun (2023). Comparative genomics reveals insights into anuran genome size evolution. BMC Genomics 24, 379 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-023-09499-8.
2. Lotanna M. Nneji, Josué A. R. Azevedo, Oyetola O. Oyebanji, Liang Ma, Paul R. Elsen, Segun O. Oladipo, Gabriel Salako, Robert Puschendorff, Robert M. Pringle (2023). Patterns of species richness and turnover in endemic amphibians of the African Guineo-Congolian rainforest. Diversity and Distributions. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13717.
3. Chunrong Mi, Liang Ma, Mengyuan Yang, Xinhai Li… Lotanna M. Nneji … Yuval Itescu, David Wilcove, Zoltán Nagy , Xuan Liu (2023). Global Protected Areas as refuges for amphibians and reptiles under climate change. Nature Communications. 14, 1389 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-36987-y
4. Hai-Bing, X., Chen, Y., Adeniyi C. Adeola, Kun, W., Cui-Ping, H., … Lotanna M. Nneji… Min-Sheng, P., Ya-Ping, Z. (2022). African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 39 (12), msac256, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msac256.
5.Yan-Nan Liu, Rong-Mei Chen, Qi-Ting Pu, Lotanna M. Nneji, Yan-Bo Sun (2022). Expression Plasticity of Transposable Elements is Highly Associated with Organismal Readaptation to Ancestral Environments. Genome Biology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evac084.
6. Jaynes, K., Myers, E., Gvoždík, V., …Lotanna M Nneji… Leaché, A., Fujita, M.K., and Bell, R. (2021). Giant Tree Frog diversification in West and Central Africa: isolation by physical barriers, climate, and reproductive traits. Molecular Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16169.
7. *Fang Yan, Lotanna M. Nneji, Jie-qiong Jin, Zhi-yong Yuan, Jin-min Chen, Xue Mi, Hong-man Chen, Robert W. Murphy, Jing Che (2021). Multi-locus genetic analyses of Quasipaa from throughout its distribution. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2021.107218.
8. Lotanna M. Nneji, Adeniyi C. Adeola, Babatunde E. Adedeji, ….Caroline Olory (2021). Species richness, distribution pattern, and conservation status of amphibians in Cross River National Park, South-eastern Nigeria. Biologia. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11756-021-00751-8.
9. Adeola. O. Ayoola, Bao-Lin Zhang, Richard P Meisel, Lotanna M Nneji, Yong Shao ... Dong-Dong Wu (2020). Population Genomics Reveals Incipient Speciation, Introgression, and Adaptation in the African Mona Monkey (Cercopithecus mona). Molecular Biology and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa248.
10. Lotanna M. Nneji, Adeola C. Adeniyi, Moshood K. Mustapha… Nwani Christopher (2020). DNA barcoding Silver butter catfish (Schilbe intermedius) reveals patterns of mitochondrial genetic diversity across African river systems. Scientific Reports, 10:7097. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-63837-4.
11. Lotanna M. Nneji, Gabriel Salako, Adeniyi C. Adeola, Segun O. Oladipo, Babatunde Emmanuel Adedeji and Adiaha A. A. Ugwumba (2019). Species Distribution Modelling predicts habitat suitability and reduction of suitable habitat under future climatic scenario for Sclerophrys perreti - a critically endangered Nigerian endemic toad. African Journal of Ecology, 00:1–11; https://doi.org/10.1111/aje.12713.
12. Lotanna M. Nneji, Adeola C. Adeniyi, Yan Fang … and Jing C. (2019). Cryptic lineage diversity of Nigerian red headed rock agama (Agama agama) associate with eco-geographic zones. Current Zoology, https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoz002.
13. Lotanna M. Nneji, Adeola C. Adeniyi, Okeyoyin, A. …. Ugwumba, A. A. A. (2019). Assessing the effectiveness of molecular data for species identification and diversity studies of Nigerian herpetofauna. Mitochondrial DNA: Resources, 10.1080/23802359.2018.1561219.
14. Lotanna M. Nneji, Adeola C. Adeniyi, Yan Fang …Ugwumba A. A. A and Jing C. (2018). Cryptic diversity of Nigerian Agama within West African Radiation. Russian Journal of Herpetology, 25 (2): 97-112.
15. *Olayinka, A. Iyiola, Lotanna M. Nneji, Moshood K. Mustapha…Wen-Zhi, Wang, Adeola C. Adeniyi (2018). DNA barcoding of economically important fish species of North – Central Nigeria uncovers cryptic lineages. Ecology and Evolution, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.4210.