The Vertebrate Research Group aims at the study of evolution, ecology and behaviour of small mammals and fishes.
We organize university lectures and courses about various aspects of vertebrate life and supervise BSc, MSc and PhD theses as part of zoology studies.
Our research focuses on the morphology, ecology, behavioural ecology, phylogenetics, and systematics of vertebrates, particularly bats, shrews, rodents, and fishes. We take a multidisciplinary approach that integrates classical ecological (composition and diversity of mammalian assemblages), genetic (phylogenetics and phylogeography), and behavioural approaches. In fish, we investigate nutritional and feeding ecology, the effects of environmental factors on dietary preferences, and the standardization of laboratory rearing conditions. We also monitor long-term trends in species diversity and population abundance of small mammals, with a particular focus on the impacts of human activity and environmental change.
The study of bats has been established in 1969, when Jiří Gaisler, one of the two founders of modern Czech chiropterology, moved from the Academy of Sciences to the Masaryk University. Since that time the vertebrate research has been carried out in close cooperation with the Institute of Vertebrate Biology, AS CR.
News & highlights
2025
July: Scientists from the Vertebrate Research Group are monitoring the behavior of vertebrates near experimental protective barriers. Their research helps define the parameters of mesh fences that the Road and Motorway Directorate of the Czech Republic plans to install along roads with heavy traffic. These barriers are intended to help protect flying birds and bats. You can watch a short news report about the ongoing research on protective barriers (2:50 min).
The project Maintaining safe migration corridors for flying vertebrates in the Czech-Saxon border region focuses on research of the effectiveness of road protection walls in the Czech Republic and Germany. For more and up-to-date information, follow the project website: https://ochrannesteny.cdvinfo.cz/ (in Czech and German)
June: Our PhD students Sophio Maglakelidze and Petr Mrhálek received EUROBATS funding for their Georgian–Czech research project focused on monitoring cave-dwelling bats in the Racha‑Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region of Georgia. The team conducts summer and winter surveys of bat species diversity, hibernation ecology, and microclimate conditions in the rugged Racha Karst Massif—an area characterized by steep, remote terrain that demands technical field skills and careful planning. They also assess human disturbance levels and carry out local awareness‑raising activities.
2024
December: Our student Barbora Pavlíčková spent in total 4 and half months in Zimbabwe, where she joined The Black Rhino Project — a conservation initiative established by the Malilangwe Trust and led by Sarah Clegg. As part of the project, Barbora investigated black rhino paternities to determine whether territorial males or non-territorial “floaters” have more offspring, with the aim of identifying which individuals are more suitable for translocation to other populations. In addition, she collaborated with the Victoria Falls Wildlife Trust to help build a genetic database (based on SNPs) of black rhinos. This database will support anti-poaching efforts by enabling the identification of both the geographic origin and the source population of poached individuals.
June: Our student Veronika Chalupová was awarded the Dean’s Award of the MU Faculty of Science 2024 in the category of the Best Student of Master Degree Programme for her exceptional academic achievements.
March: On Saturday, April 13, as part of the MJUNI Children’s University program, we showed handicapped bats and talked about their life and importance. The children also played games and accomplished bat quests. See pictures in our gallery and on https://www.facebook.com/mjuniverzita/
March: Tomáš Bartonička appeared in the Czech Television documentary “Eat the Snake,” based on a fairy tale in which the king eats a rare snake and understands the language of animals (9:40 min). In it, he talks about the interesting facts of bat echolocation.
2023
February: The national zoological conference “Zoological days” (Zoologické dny) was hold in Brno with a plenary talk (Bíl M., Bartonička T.: Zvířata na silnicích, aneb riskantní počínání na obou stranách – křest nové knihy; a launching ceremony of a new book from Tomáš Bartonička: Animals on roads), 15 talk and seven poster contributions from VRG students or staff members.
Among them, (1) our bachelor student Karel Kotoul was awarded by the Czech Entomological Society for the best talk on an entomological topic (Kotoul K., Konečný A., Bartonička T.: Jak motýli unikají před netopýry: interakce mezi predátorem a kořistí; on anti-predator escaping strategies of moths confronted with bat predators).
(2) our PhD student Kryštof Horák was awarded by the Czech Ornithological Society for the best talk on an ornithological topic (Horák K., de la Hera I., Pérez-Rigueiro J., Javier Rojo F., Tomášek O., Kauzál O., Albrecht T.: Komparační studie mechanických vlastností ručních letek pěvců tropické a temperátní zóny; on comparison of mechanistic traits in feather of tropical versus temperate passerines).
2022
February: Our master student Veronika Chalupová has been successful to obtain a year financial support from the Grant Agency of Masaryk University (“Support for outstanding diploma theses”) for her diploma research project about genetic structure of Central European Apodemus agrarius populations
2020
March: Our master student Mořic Jurečka has been successful to obtain a MU rector’s financial support for his diploma research project about odour repellent effects on wildlife behavior.