Norina Vicente

Norina Vicente is pursuing a Ph.D. in Biodiversity, Genetics and Evolution (BIODIV) at the University of Porto, since October 2024. She is conducting the project Morphological and Evolutionary adaptations of Afrotropical arboreal ants in the Equatorial Guinea, under the supervision of Luke Powell (CIBIO) and Roberto A. Keller (National Museum of Natural History and Science, Portugal). This project aims to: 1. determine the diversity of ants using morphology and  COI sequencing; 2. Analyse morphological specializations common across arboreal ants and how these might be functionally adapted for canopy lifestyle; 3. Understand whether geographic isolation and environmental factors influence ant biodiversity in the mainland and Bioko island; 4. Analyze the nitrogen (N) content in the guts of ants from the canopy and ground-level diets and evaluate how this affects their development.