This September, we, the PhD students Robert Hadfield (subproject C07), Julia Simonis (subproject B07) and Marianela Marino (subproject B01) and the Master student Socha Geirises (subproject B08), had the opportunity to take part in the Summer School at the Gobabeb Namib Research Institute in Namibia. The training was conducted by experts including Prof. Dr. Dietmar Quandt (the Bonn Institute for Organismic Biology, University of Bonn), Terry Hedderson  ( Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Town), Prof. Dr. Julia Bechteler ( Senckenberg Institute for Plant Form and Function (SIP), University of Jena), and Dr. Eugene Marais (Gobabeb Namib Research Institute). The program not only offered hands-on training in modern biodiversity research methods but also gave us the chance to gain practical experience in the lab and to contribute our own expertise.

During the weeklong workshop, we were taught the fundamentals of phylogenetics in a series of lectures, learning how DNA sequences can be used to reconstruct the evolutionary history of a species and which models/approaches are best suited for the analyses. The theoretical part was complemented with practical sessions. We went into the field to collect plant samples from which we then extracted DNA in the lab. We learned how to create and improve sequence alignments and how to run different types of analyses, giving us the opportunity to apply the knowledge we had gained during the lectures.

In the field excursions, we encountered a fascinating array of plant and animal species, all remarkably well adapted to the extremely arid conditions of the Namib Desert, like the fascinating Welwitchia mirabilis, a plant endemic to this region.

During our stay in Namibia, we, Julia and Nela, also had the opportunity to see Kissenia, a plant genus that is of particular interest to us as it is related to Huidobria—an endemic genus of the Atacama Desert in Chile and the central focus of our ongoing research projects. Observing Kissenia in its natural habitat allowed us to draw exciting parallels and contrasts between these two genera. These insights will serve as a valuable comparative model, helping us to understand the evolutionary and ecological adaptations of Huidobria in the Atacama.

It is remarkable how the arid environment harbors such impressive biodiversity, with species displaying fascinating adaptations to extreme water limitations. Gaining a deeper understanding of these coping mechanisms is not only crucial for their conservation but also provides valuable insights that can help us respond to the challenges of accelerated climate change.