World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Award Badge
Ecology and Evolution
Slovenia
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Ecology and Evolution

D-Index
45
Citations
6210
World Ranking
4921
National Ranking
1

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Slovenia Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Ecology and Evolution in Slovenia Leader Award

Overview

Peter Trontelj is affiliated with the University of Ljubljana in Slovenia. Their research primarily focuses on environmental science and earth and planetary sciences, with significant contributions in the subfields of paleontology, ecology, pharmacology, ecological modeling, and global and planetary change.

The main topics in their work include subterranean biodiversity and taxonomy, leech biology and applications, species distribution and climate change, invertebrate taxonomy and ecology, amphibian and reptile biology, aquatic invertebrate ecology and behavior, and environmental DNA in biodiversity studies.

Frequent publication venues for their work include:

  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
  • Nature Communications
  • Scientific Reports
  • Systematics and Biodiversity
  • Natura Sloveniae

Recent papers by Peter Trontelj include:

  • A subterranean adaptive radiation of amphipods in Europe (2021, Nature Communications)
  • Draft genome of the European medicinal leech Hirudo medicinalis (Annelida, Clitellata, Hirudiniformes) with emphasis on anticoagulants (2020, Scientific Reports)
  • Brazilian cave heritage under siege (2022, Science)
  • Toward the massive genome of Proteus anguinus-illuminating longevity, regeneration, convergent evolution, and metabolic disorders (2021, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences)
  • Speciation of a subterranean amphipod on the glacier margins in South Eastern Alps, Europe (2021, Journal of Biogeography)

Peter Trontelj frequently collaborates with the following co-authors:

  • Cene Fišer
  • Valerija Zakšek
  • Hans Recknagel
  • Teo Delić
  • Rok Kostanjšek

Best Publications

  • A molecular test for cryptic diversity in ground water: how large are the ranges of macro-stygobionts?

    Peter Trontelj;Christophe J. Douady;Cene Fišer;Janine Gibert

  • Phylogeography of a subterranean amphipod reveals cryptic diversity and dynamic evolution in extreme environments.

    T. Lefébure;C. J. Douady;M. Gouy;P. Trontelj

  • The mid-latitude biodiversity ridge in terrestrial cave fauna

    David C. Culver;Louis Deharveng;Anne Bedos;Julian J. Lewis

  • Phylogenetic and phylogeographic relationships in the crayfish genus Austropotamobius inferred from mitochondrial COI gene sequences.

    Peter Trontelj;Yoichi Machino;Boris Sket

  • Diverse molecular data demonstrate that commercially available medicinal leeches are not Hirudo medicinalis.

    Mark E Siddall;Peter Trontelj;Serge Y Utevsky;Mary Nkamany

  • Global diversity of leeches (Hirudinea) in freshwater

    Boris Sket;Peter Trontelj

  • The importance of naming cryptic species and the conservation of endemic subterranean amphipods

    Teo Delić;Peter Trontelj;Michal Rendoš;Cene Fišer

  • The colonization of Europe by the freshwater crustacean Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea: Isopoda) proceeded from ancient refugia and was directed by habitat connectivity.

    R. Verovnik;B. Sket;P. Trontelj

  • Ecomorphological convergence of cave communities.

    Peter Trontelj;Andrej Blejec;Cene Fišer

  • Cryptic species diversity should not be trivialised

    Peter Trontelj;Cene Fišer

  • Genetic basis of eye and pigment loss in the cave crustacean, Asellus aquaticus

    Meredith E. Protas;Peter Trontelj;Nipam H. Patel

  • Characterization of microsatellites in capercaillie Tetrao urogallus (AVES).

    G. Segelbacher;R. J. Paxton;G. Steinbrück;P. Trontelj

  • Celebrity with a neglected taxonomy: molecular systematics of the medicinal leech (genus hirudo)

    Peter Trontelj;Serge Y. Utevsky

  • Phylogeography of subterranean and surface populations of water lice Asellus aquaticus (Crustacea: Isopoda).

    R. Verovnik;B. Sket;P. Trontelj

  • Phylogeny of the cave shrimp Troglocaris: Evidence of a young connection between Balkans and Caucasus.

    Valerija Zakšek;Boris Sket;Peter Trontelj

  • A phylogenetic perspective on 160 years of troubled taxonomy of Niphargus (Crustacea: Amphipoda)

    Cene Fišer;Boris Sket;Peter Trontelj

  • Origins of Allium ampeloprasum horticultural groups and a molecular phylogeny of the section Allium (Allium: Alliaceae).

    Pablo Hirschegger;Jernej Jakse;Peter Trontelj;Borut Bohanec

  • The limits of cryptic diversity in groundwater: phylogeography of the cave shrimp Troglocaris anophthalmus (Crustacea: Decapoda: Atyidae)

    Valerija ZAKšEK;Boris Sket;Sanja Gottstein;Damjan Franjević

  • Sampling adequacy in an extreme environment: species richness patterns in Slovenian caves

    David C. Culver;Mary C. Christman;Boris Sket;Peter Trontelj

  • A Census of the Obligate Subterranean Fauna of the Balkan Peninsula

    Boris Sket;Kaloust Paragamian;Peter Trontelj

  • Environmental DNA in subterranean biology: range extension and taxonomic implications for Proteus

    Špela Gorički;David Stanković;Aleš Snoj;Matjaž Kuntner

Frequent Co-Authors

Boris Sket
Boris Sket University of Ljubljana
Cene Fišer
Cene Fišer University of Ljubljana
Christophe J. Douady
Christophe J. Douady Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
Janine Gibert
Janine Gibert Claude Bernard University Lyon 1
David C. Culver
David C. Culver American University
Lisette P. Waits
Lisette P. Waits University of Idaho
Mark E. Siddall
Mark E. Siddall American Museum of Natural History
Anton Brancelj
Anton Brancelj University of Ljubljana
Yonglun Luo
Yonglun Luo Aarhus University
Manolo Gouy
Manolo Gouy Claude Bernard University Lyon 1

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

Considering a background in Ecology and Evolution opens doors to a range of fulfilling and interdisciplinary careers. Many students expand their expertise with online graduate programs, which offer flexibility and help reduce costs. For those interested in counseling or community work, exploring the cheapest masters in counseling online is a good way to gain meaningful skills with less financial pressure.

Specialized roles in psychology and behavioral science are also viable paths. Earning an online masters in clinical psychology can complement your scientific background and lead to careers in research, therapy, or healthcare. Additionally, there are human services online degree programs that allow for quick career transitions into roles supporting others in areas such as public health, advocacy, or education.

For educators considering a shift, it's worth asking: can you become a speech pathologist with an education degree? Many find their background in teaching paves the way for new opportunities in speech-language pathology or related fields.

Best Scientists Citing Peter Trontelj

Trending Scientists