World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Ecology and Evolution
China
2026
Award Badge
Ecology and Evolution
Finland
2023

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
103
Citations
36884
World Ranking
240
National Ranking
4

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in China Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in China Leader Award
  • 2023 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Finland Leader Award
  • 2022 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Finland Leader Award

Overview

Juha Merilä is affiliated with the University of Hong Kong in China and has contributed extensively to research in biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, and environmental science. Their work spans several key subfields including genetics, ecology, evolution, behavior and systematics, nature and landscape conservation, and molecular biology.

Merilä's primary research interests focus on genetic diversity and population structure, genetic and phenotypic traits in livestock, fish ecology and management studies, animal behavior and reproduction, genetic mapping and diversity in plants and animals, amphibian and reptile biology, and evolution and genetic dynamics.

Their recent papers demonstrate engagement with a range of topics and diverse study systems, including vertebrates with complex life cycles, parallel evolution, and demographic modeling. Selected recent publications include:

  • Determinants and Consequences of Dispersal in Vertebrates with Complex Life Cycles: A Review of Pond-Breeding Amphibians (2020, The Quarterly Review of Biology)
  • On the causes of geographically heterogeneous parallel evolution in sticklebacks (2020, Nature Ecology & Evolution)
  • Neutral and adaptive genetic diversity in plants: An overview (2023, Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution)
  • Biases in demographic modelling affect our understanding of recent divergence (2021, Molecular Biology and Evolution)
  • Population Structure Limits Parallel Evolution in Sticklebacks (2021, Molecular Biology and Evolution)

Merilä has collaborated frequently with several researchers, including:

  • Paolo Momigliano
  • Ari Löytynoja
  • Kerry Reid
  • Xueyun Feng
  • Antoine Fraimout

Their work has been published in a variety of journals and platforms with multiple contributions recorded in:

  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
  • Faculty Opinions - Post-Publication Peer Review of the Biomedical Literature
  • Molecular Ecology
  • Molecular Biology and Evolution
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)

Best Publications

  • Ecological genomics of local adaptation

    Outi Savolainen;Martin Lascoux;Juha Merilä

  • Climate change and evolution: disentangling environmental and genetic responses

    P. Gienapp;C. Teplitsky;J. S. Alho;J. A. Mills

  • Climate change, adaptation, and phenotypic plasticity: the problem and the evidence.

    Juha Merilä;Andrew P. Hendry

  • Comparison of genetic differentiation at marker loci and quantitative traits

    J. Merilä;P. Crnokrak

  • Heritable variation and evolution under favourable and unfavourable conditions.

    Ary A. Hoffmann;Juha Merilä

  • Detecting and managing fisheries-induced evolution.

    Anna Kuparinen;Juha Merilä

  • Comparative studies of quantitative trait and neutral marker divergence: a meta-analysis.

    T. Leinonen;R. B. O’Hara;J. M. Cano;J. Merilä

  • Genetic architecture of fitness and nonfitness traits: empirical patterns and development of ideas.

    Juha Merilä;Ben C Sheldon

  • Adaptive responses of animals to climate change are most likely insufficient

    Viktoriia Radchuk;Thomas Reed;Céline Teplitsky;Martijn van der Pol

  • Explaining stasis: microevolutionary studies in natural populations.

    J. Merilä;B. C. Sheldon;L. E. B. Kruuk

  • Q ST – F ST comparisons: evolutionary and ecological insights from genomic heterogeneity

    Tuomas Leinonen;R. J. Scott McCairns;Robert B. O'Hara;Juha Merilä

  • Senescence rates are determined by ranking on the fast–slow life‐history continuum

    Owen R. Jones;Jean-Michel Gaillard;Shripad Tuljapurkar;Jussi S. Alho

  • Paternal genetic contribution to offspring condition predicted by size of male secondary sexual character

    Ben C. Sheldon;Ben C. Sheldon;Juha Merila;Anna Qvarnstrom;Lars Gustafsson

  • Lifetime Reproductive Success and Heritability in Nature.

    J. Merilä;B. C. Sheldon

  • Climatic effects on breeding and morphology: evidence for phenotypic plasticity

    Robert Przybylo;BeN C. Sheldon;JuhA Merilä

  • Latitudinal countergradient variation in the common frog (Rana temporaria) development rates--evidence for local adaptation.

    Ane T. Laugen;Anssi Laurila;Katja Räsänen;Juha Merilä

  • NATURAL SELECTION AND INHERITANCE OF BREEDING TIME AND CLUTCH SIZE IN THE COLLARED FLYCATCHER

    B. C. Sheldon;L. E. B. Kruuk;J. Merila

  • A first-generation microsatellite-based genetic linkage map of the Siberian jay (Perisoreus infaustus): insights into avian genome evolution

    Sonja Jaari;Meng-Hua Li;Juha Merilä

  • Severe inbreeding depression in collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis)

    Loeske E. B. Kruuk;Ben C. Sheldon;Ben C. Sheldon;Juha Merilä;Juha Merilä

  • HISTORICAL DEMOGRAPHY AND PRESENT DAY POPULATION STRUCTURE OF THE GREENFINCH, CARDUEUS CHLORIS-AN ANALYSIS OF mtDNA CONTROL-REGION SEQUENCES.

    Juha Merilä;Juha Merilä;Mats Björklund;Allan J. Baker

Frequent Co-Authors

Gábor Herczeg
Gábor Herczeg Eötvös Loránd University
Anssi Laurila
Anssi Laurila Uppsala University
Ben C. Sheldon
Ben C. Sheldon University of Oxford
Craig R. Primmer
Craig R. Primmer University of Helsinki
Katja Räsänen
Katja Räsänen Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Anna Kuparinen
Anna Kuparinen University of Jyväskylä
Robert B. O'Hara
Robert B. O'Hara Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Lars Gustafsson
Lars Gustafsson Uppsala University
Loeske E. B. Kruuk
Loeske E. B. Kruuk University of Edinburgh
Phillip Gienapp
Phillip Gienapp University of Helsinki

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Studying Ecology and Evolution opens doors to interdisciplinary careers that often overlap with social, psychological, and environmental work. Many students explore related fields through online programs, which offer flexibility and specialized skills for diverse opportunities.

For those interested in mental health within ecological or community settings, pursuing an online masters degree in mental health counseling can help address behavioral wellness issues. Another pathway, relevant for ecological and legal investigations, is a forensic psychology degree—ideal for roles combining science, law, and psychology.

Those passionate about youth development or education may consider a masters in child psychology to address environmental and social impacts on young people. Budget-conscious learners can also explore the cheapest masters in counseling to gain a quality education at a lower cost.

These online degrees complement the study of Ecology and Evolution, broadening your skillset and making you more adaptable in a changing job market.

Best Scientists Citing Juha Merilä

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles