1998 - 2001	Bachelor degree; Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava
2001 - 2004	Master degree; Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague
2008	Dr., Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague.
2004 - 2010	Ph.D.; Department of Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology and Genetics, Laboratory of Fish Genetics, IAPG AS CR, v.v.i.; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague. Dissertation Thesis: Lost sex: multilocus DNA evolution the hybrid fish complex C. taenia (Teleostei). Charles University in Prague, Prague 2009.
2010	Postdoc; Department of Vertebrate Evolutionary Biology and Genetics, Laboratory of Fish Genetics, IAPG AS CR, v.v.i.

specialization

We take interest in studies of relationships among phenomena of sexuality, hybridization, asexuality and polyploidy. Here, vertebrate hybrid complexes have been recognised as especially interesting models. We use fishes of Cobitis taenia hybrid complex and amphibians of Pelophylax (former Rana) esculenta complex as model systems, as coexistence of sexual species and (hemi)clonal hybrids and polyploidy have all been discovered there. Currently, we focus on studies on (i) the origin of asexuality and polyploidy in natural populations and under experimental crosses in the laboratory, (ii) the evolutionary history and biogeography of asexual complexes, and (iii) the dynamics of contemporaty hybrid zones.

field expeditions

scientific stays and visits

October 2007 - February 2008	Unprotected hybrid richness: a conservation genetic approach on an example of spined loaches (Cobitis, Teleostei). Scientific stay in the frame of European Science Foundation under European Union, Conservation Genetics (CONGEN) Exchange Grant No. 1 384). Prof. I. Doadrio, Biodiversidad i Biologia Evolutiva, MNCN CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
February 2006 - March 2006	Evolutionary history of European threatened species and hybrid richness of spiny loaches (Cobitis, Teleostei): a multilocus phylogenetic analysis. Scientific stay within the frame of European project SYNTHESYS (Synthesis of systematic resources under European Union) ES-TAF-1691. SYNTHESYS. Prof. I. Doadrio, Biodiversidad i Biologia Evolutiva, MNCN CSIC, Madrid, Spain.
January 2005 - December 2007	Phylogeographic relationship of Ponto-Caspian refuge and Central Europe fish populations-sound basis for management and conservation. Joint Research project No. 6 between Czech Academy of Science and Bulgarian Academy of Science. Participant.
November 2010 and March 2011	Laboratory of Animal Diversity and Systematics, Katholieke, Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

grants

To what extent does genetic divergence affect an outcome of interspecific hybridization?: The effect on the origin of asexuality and polyploidy. The Grant Agency of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic. KJB600450902. 2009-2011. Head resolver.
206/09/1298 Hybrid zones and the dynamics of evolution of asexuality among European loaches (Cobitis). Grantová agentura České republiky. 206/09/1298. 2009-2013. Member of Research Team.
Could anyone survive Antarctic glaciations?: Evolution in the extreme environment and the effect of climatic changes on Antarctic biota. The Grant Agency of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, 2009-2011. KJB600450903. Member of Research Team.
General patterns in the colonisation of European freshwater systems as inferred from the molecular phylogeography of fishes. 206/09/1154. 2009-2011. Grantová agentura České republiky. Member of Research Team.
Inferring the history of speciation from genome-wide population data: lessons from spined loaches and nightingales. Grantová agentura České republiky. P506/10/1155. 2010-2013. Member of Research Team.

scientific society

reviewed articles

Fijarczyk, A., Nadachowska K., Sebastian S., Babik W., Litvinchuk S., ; Stuglik M., Gollmann, G., Choleva L., Cogălniceanu D., Vukov T., Džukić G., Szymura J. 2011. Nuclear and mitochondrial phylogeography of the European fire-bellied toads Bombina bombina and B. variegata supports their independent histories. Molecular Ecology. Accepted.
Maciak S., Janko K., Kotusz J., Choleva L., Boron´ A., Juchno D., Kujawa R., Kozłowski J., Konarzewski M. 2011. Standard metabolic rate is inversely related to erythrocyte and genome size in allopolyploid ﬁsh of the Cobitis taenia hybrid complex. Functional Ecology. In Press.
Říčanová Š., Bryja J., Cosson J.-F., Gedeon C., Choleva L., Ambros A., Sedláček F. 2011. Depleted genetic variation of the European ground squirrel in Central Europe in both microsatellites and the major histocompatibility complex gene: implications for conservation. Conservation Genetics. In Press.
Zaleśna A., Choleva, L., Ogielska M., Rábová M. , Marec F., Ráb P. 2011: Evidence for Integrity of Parental Genomes in the Diploid Hybridogenetic Water Frog Pelophylax esculentus by Genomic in situ Hybridization . Cytogenetic and Genome Research. In Press.
Choleva, L., Apostolos A., Ráb, P. Janko, K. 2008 Making it on their own: sperm-dependent hybrid loaches switch the sexual hosts and expand beyond the ranges of their original sperm-donors. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 363 (1505): 2911-2919.
Kotlík, P., Marková, S., Choleva, L., Bogutskaya, N.G., Ekmekci, F.G., Ivanova, P.P. 2008. Divergence with gene flow between Ponto-Caspian refugia in an anadromous cyprinid Rutilus frisii revealed by multiple gene phylogeography. Molecular Ecology 17: 1076-1088.
Buj, I., Podnar, M., Mrakovčić, M., Choleva, L., Šlechtová, V., Tvrtković, N., Ćaleta, M., Mustafić, P., Marčić, Z., Zanella, D., Brigić, A. Genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of spined loaches (genus Cobitis) in Croatia based on mtDNA and allozyme analyses. Folia Zoologica 57 (1-2): 71-82.
Šanda, R., Vukić, J., Choleva, L. Křížek, J. Šedivá, A., Shumka, S. Wilson, I.F. Distribution of loach fishes (Cobitidae, Nemacheilidae) in Albania, with genetic analysis of populations of Cobitis ohridana. Folia Zoologica 57 (1-2): 42-50.
Janko, K., Flajšhans, M., Choleva, L., Bohlen, J., Šlechtová, V., Rábová, M., Lajbner, Z., Šlechta, V., Ivanova. P., Dobrovolov, I., Culling, M., Persat, H., Kotusz, J. & Ráb, P. 2007 Diversity of European spined loaches (genus Cobitis L.): an update of the geographic distribution of the Cobitis taenia hybrid complex with a description of new molecular tools for species determination. Journal of Fish Biology 71: 387-408.

Lukas Choleva, Dr., PhD.