Prof. Dr. Sabine Begall

Scientific Assistant (C1), associate head of the department

Current Research The main research focus is on sensory ecology of subterranean mammals

• mole-rats as a model species for ageing in mammals
• olfactory and acoustic communication
• auditory threshold determination
• magnetic orientation
• (colour) vision
• morphological studies of middle and inner ears (Spalacopus and Ctenomys)
• proteomics (MUPs major urinary proteins of Cryptomys, Spalax, Spalacopus)
• analyses of body growth in subterranean mammals (e.g. Gompertz growth curves)

Curriculum Vitae

Born 1968 in Germany

1985-1990 apprentice and official in the revenue office of Duisburg

1991-1996 studied mathematics and biology at the University of Essen

1996 state examination, thesis (Department of General Zoology at the University of Essen): Growth and development of Zambian common mole-rats (Cryptomys sp.); started Ph.D. study about Chilean Coruros

1997-1998 fieldwork in Chile, collaboration with Dr. Milton H. Gallardo (Univ. Austral de Chile)

1998 microsatellite analysis at Texas A&M University, USA (Wildlife and Fisheries Dept.), collaboration with Prof. Dr. Rodney L. Honeycutt

1999 PhD-Thesis. 'Behavioral-ecological and genetic analyses of the social and population structure of Coruros (Spalacopus cyanus, Octodontidae, Rodentia) from Chile.' (in German)

January-March 2000 research assistant, Dept. Gen. Zoology, Univ. Essen

March 2000 Dr. rer. nat. (PhD) in zoology, Univ. of Essen

March 2000-July 2001 Research associate (C1), Dept. Gen. Zoology, Univ. Essen

August 2001-August 2003 Maternity leave (birth of the second child)

Since September 2003 Research fellow in the Lise-Meitner scholarship program

Reviewer for:
Journal of Morphology, Journal of Mammalogy, Journal of Zoology (London), Journal of Comparative Physiology A, Ethology, Animal Behaviour, Growth, Development & Aging, Naturwissenschaften, Mastozoologica Neotropical, Acta Theriologica, Journal of Ethology