Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou

I study insect biodiversity, morphology, and mechanics. My mission is to document, discover, and protect insect species across the planet, and to understand the myriad of ways evolution has molded their body plan to fit different mechanical needs – be it flight, running, or singing. In an era of rapid biodiversity loss, my research is particularly relevant in documenting and preserving the book of life for generations to come. My ongoing postdoctoral research investigates the mechanics and evolution of sound producing organs in cicadas and their allies (Hemiptera). Using state-of-the-art techniques such as synchrotron X-ray microtomography, I study the sound-producing organs of both living hemipterans as well as their extinct relatives fossilised in amber, which will provide invaluable insights on the evolution of acoustic communication as a whole – including our own. I have taught animal anatomy, diversity, physiology, field techniques, and arthropod identification in all undergraduate levels at the University of Oxford and abroad.