Dr Michela Leonardi
Postdoctoral Researcher, GOTT Biodiversity Model
Summary
I am an evolutionary biologist studying how species (including humans) respond to long-term climatic fluctuations. I do so by integrating computational ecology and (paleo)population biology through cutting-edge statistical methods. My unusual career path and diverse set of skills allow me to tackle research questions within the fields of paleobiology, ecology, zoology, and conservation with a wide and interdisciplinary approach. I integrate the present-day biodiversity patterns within their evolutionary history, reaching a deeper understanding to better inform future choices and conservation strategies.
Qualifications
Degrees
- PhD, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany, 2009 - 2013
- MSc, University of Ferrara, Italy, 2005 - 2007
- BSc, University of Ferrara, Italy, 2002 - 2005
Academic
- Biodiversity Modeller, Natural History Museum, United Kingdom, 2024 - ongoing
- Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Cambridge, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, United Kingdom, 2018 - 2024
- Visiting Postdoc, University of Cambridge, Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Zoology, United Kingdom, 2017 - 2018
- Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow, University of Copenhagen, GeoGenetics centre, Denmark, 2015 - 2017
- Postdoctoral Researcher, University College London, Department of Anthropology, United Kingdom, 2013 - 2014
- Researcher, University College London, Department of Anthropology, United Kingdom, 2012 - 2013
- Researcher, Musée de l'Homme, France, 2008 - 2008
Highlighted publications
- Leonardi M, Lycett SJ, Manica A, Key A (2024) The Acheulean niche: climate and ecology predict handaxe production in Europe. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.19.604259
- Leonardi M, Colucci M, Pozzi AV, Scerri EML, Manica A (2024) tidysdm: Leveraging the flexibility of tidymodels for species distribution modelling in R. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15, 1789 - 1795. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.14406
- Leonardi M, Hallett EY, Beyer R, Krapp M, Manica A (2023) pastclim 1.2: an R package to easily access and use paleoclimatic reconstructions. Ecography 2023, doi: 10.1111/ecog.06481
- Leonardi M, Colucci M, Pozzi AV, Scerri EML, Manica A (2023) <i>tidysdm</i>: leveraging the flexibility of<i>tidymodels</i>for Species Distribution Modelling in R. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550358
- Miller EF, Green RE, Balmford A, Maisano Delser P, Beyer R, Somveille M, Leonardi M, Amos W, Manica A (2021) Bayesian Skyline Plots disagree with range size changes based on Species Distribution Models for Holarctic birds. Molecular Ecology 30, 3993 - 4004. doi: 10.1111/mec.16032
- Fages A, Hanghøj K, Khan N, Gaunitz C, Seguin-Orlando A, Leonardi M, McCrory Constantz C, Gamba C, Al-Rasheid KAS, Albizuri S, Alfarhan AH, Allentoft M, Alquraishi S, Anthony D, Baimukhanov N, Barrett JH, Bayarsaikhan J, Benecke N, Bernáldez-Sánchez E, Berrocal-Rangel L, Biglari F, Boessenkool S, Boldgiv B, Brem G, Brown D, Burger J, Crubézy E, Daugnora L, Davoudi H, De Barros Damgaard P, De los Ángeles de Chorro y de Villa-Ceballos M, Deschler-Erb S, Detry C, Dill N, Do Mar Oom M, Dohr A, Ellingvåg S, Erdenebaatar D, Fathi H, Felkel S, Fernández-Rodríguez C, García-Viñas E, Germonpré M, Granado JD, Hallsson JH, Hemmer H, Hofreiter M, Kasparov A, Khasanov M, Khazaeli R, Kosintsev P, Kristiansen K, Kubatbek T, Kuderna L, Kuznetsov P, Laleh H, Leonard JA, Lhuillier J, Liesau von Lettow-Vorbeck C, Logvin A, Lõugas L, Ludwig A, Luis C, Arruda AM, Marques-Bonet T, Matoso Silva R, Merz V, Mijiddorj E, Miller BK, Monchalov O, Mohaseb FA, Morales A, Nieto-Espinet A, Nistelberger H, Onar V, Pálsdóttir AH, Pitulko V, Pitskhelauri K, Pruvost M, Rajic Sikanjic P, Rapan Papeša A, Roslyakova N, Sardari A, Sauer E, Schafberg R, Scheu A, Schibler J, Schlumbaum A, Serrand N, Serres-Armero A, Shapiro B, Sheikhi Seno S, Shevnina I, Shidrang S, Southon J, Star B, Sykes N, Taheri K, Taylor W, Teegen W-R, Trbojević Vukičević T, Trixl S, Tumen D, Undrakhbold S, Usmanova E, Vahdati A, Valenzuela-Lamas S, Viegas C, Wallner B, Weinstock J, Zaibert V, Clavel B, Lepetz S, Mashkour M, Helgason A, Stefánsson K, Barrey E, Willerslev E, Outram AK, Librado P, Orlando L (2019) Tracking Five Millennia of Horse Management with Extensive Ancient Genome Time Series. Cell 177, 1419 - 1435.e31. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.049
- Viganò A, Manica A, Di Piero V, Leonardi M (2019) Did Going North Give Us Migraine? An Evolutionary Approach on Understanding Latitudinal Differences in Migraine Epidemiology. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 59, 632 - 634. doi: 10.1111/head.13520
- Leonardi M, Boschin F, Giampoudakis K, Beyer RM, Krapp M, Bendrey R, Sommer R, Boscato P, Manica A, Nogues-Bravo D, Orlando L (2018) Late Quaternary horses in Eurasia in the face of climate and vegetation change. Science Advances 4, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5589
- Leonardi M, Sandionigi A, Conzato A, Vai S, Lari M, Tassi F, Ghirotto S, Caramelli D, Barbujani G (2018) The female ancestor's tale: Long‐term matrilineal continuity in a nonisolated region of Tuscany. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 167, 497 - 506. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.23679
- Heyer E, Brandenburg J, Leonardi M, Toupance B, Balaresque P, Hegay T, Aldashev A, Austerlitz F (2015) Patrilineal populations show more male transmission of reproductive success than cognatic populations in Central Asia, which reduces their genetic diversity. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 157, 537 - 543. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22739
- Leonardi M, Gerbault P, Thomas MG, Burger J (2012) The evolution of lactase persistence in Europe. A synthesis of archaeological and genetic evidence. International Dairy Journal 22, 88 - 97. doi: 10.1016/j.idairyj.2011.10.010
- Betti L, Beyer RM, Jones ER, Eriksson A, Tassi F, Siska V, Leonardi M, Maisano Delser P, Bentley LK, Nigst PR, Stock JT, Pinhasi R, Manica A Climate shaped how Neolithic farmers and European hunter-gatherers interacted after a major slowdown from 6,100 bce to 4,500 bce. Nature Human Behaviour 4, 1004 - 1010. doi: 10.1038/s41562-020-0897-7
- Leonardi M, Boschin F, Boscato P, Manica A Following the niche: the differential impact of the last glacial maximum on four European ungulates. Communications Biology 5, doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03993-7
- Leonardi M, Barbujani G, Manica A An earlier revolution: genetic and genomic analyses reveal pre-existing cultural differences leading to Neolithization. Scientific Reports 7, doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03717-6
- Leonardi M, Librado P, Der Sarkissian C, Schubert M, Alfarhan AH, Alquraishi SA, Al-Rasheid KAS, Gamba C, Willerslev E, Orlando L Evolutionary Patterns and Processes: Lessons from Ancient DNA. Systematic Biology syw059 - syw059. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syw059
Highlighted publications
- Leonardi M, Lycett SJ, Manica A, Key A (2024) The Acheulean niche: climate and ecology predict handaxe production in Europe. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2024.07.19.604259
- Leonardi M, Colucci M, Pozzi AV, Scerri EML, Manica A (2024) tidysdm: Leveraging the flexibility of tidymodels for species distribution modelling in R. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 15, 1789 - 1795. doi: 10.1111/2041-210x.14406
- Leonardi M, Hallett EY, Beyer R, Krapp M, Manica A (2023) pastclim 1.2: an R package to easily access and use paleoclimatic reconstructions. Ecography 2023, doi: 10.1111/ecog.06481
- Leonardi M, Colucci M, Pozzi AV, Scerri EML, Manica A (2023) <i>tidysdm</i>: leveraging the flexibility of<i>tidymodels</i>for Species Distribution Modelling in R. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2023.07.24.550358
- Miller EF, Green RE, Balmford A, Maisano Delser P, Beyer R, Somveille M, Leonardi M, Amos W, Manica A (2021) Bayesian Skyline Plots disagree with range size changes based on Species Distribution Models for Holarctic birds. Molecular Ecology 30, 3993 - 4004. doi: 10.1111/mec.16032
- Fages A, Hanghøj K, Khan N, Gaunitz C, Seguin-Orlando A, Leonardi M, McCrory Constantz C, Gamba C, Al-Rasheid KAS, Albizuri S, Alfarhan AH, Allentoft M, Alquraishi S, Anthony D, Baimukhanov N, Barrett JH, Bayarsaikhan J, Benecke N, Bernáldez-Sánchez E, Berrocal-Rangel L, Biglari F, Boessenkool S, Boldgiv B, Brem G, Brown D, Burger J, Crubézy E, Daugnora L, Davoudi H, De Barros Damgaard P, De los Ángeles de Chorro y de Villa-Ceballos M, Deschler-Erb S, Detry C, Dill N, Do Mar Oom M, Dohr A, Ellingvåg S, Erdenebaatar D, Fathi H, Felkel S, Fernández-Rodríguez C, García-Viñas E, Germonpré M, Granado JD, Hallsson JH, Hemmer H, Hofreiter M, Kasparov A, Khasanov M, Khazaeli R, Kosintsev P, Kristiansen K, Kubatbek T, Kuderna L, Kuznetsov P, Laleh H, Leonard JA, Lhuillier J, Liesau von Lettow-Vorbeck C, Logvin A, Lõugas L, Ludwig A, Luis C, Arruda AM, Marques-Bonet T, Matoso Silva R, Merz V, Mijiddorj E, Miller BK, Monchalov O, Mohaseb FA, Morales A, Nieto-Espinet A, Nistelberger H, Onar V, Pálsdóttir AH, Pitulko V, Pitskhelauri K, Pruvost M, Rajic Sikanjic P, Rapan Papeša A, Roslyakova N, Sardari A, Sauer E, Schafberg R, Scheu A, Schibler J, Schlumbaum A, Serrand N, Serres-Armero A, Shapiro B, Sheikhi Seno S, Shevnina I, Shidrang S, Southon J, Star B, Sykes N, Taheri K, Taylor W, Teegen W-R, Trbojević Vukičević T, Trixl S, Tumen D, Undrakhbold S, Usmanova E, Vahdati A, Valenzuela-Lamas S, Viegas C, Wallner B, Weinstock J, Zaibert V, Clavel B, Lepetz S, Mashkour M, Helgason A, Stefánsson K, Barrey E, Willerslev E, Outram AK, Librado P, Orlando L (2019) Tracking Five Millennia of Horse Management with Extensive Ancient Genome Time Series. Cell 177, 1419 - 1435.e31. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.03.049
- Viganò A, Manica A, Di Piero V, Leonardi M (2019) Did Going North Give Us Migraine? An Evolutionary Approach on Understanding Latitudinal Differences in Migraine Epidemiology. Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain 59, 632 - 634. doi: 10.1111/head.13520
- Leonardi M, Boschin F, Giampoudakis K, Beyer RM, Krapp M, Bendrey R, Sommer R, Boscato P, Manica A, Nogues-Bravo D, Orlando L (2018) Late Quaternary horses in Eurasia in the face of climate and vegetation change. Science Advances 4, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.aar5589
- Leonardi M, Sandionigi A, Conzato A, Vai S, Lari M, Tassi F, Ghirotto S, Caramelli D, Barbujani G (2018) The female ancestor's tale: Long‐term matrilineal continuity in a nonisolated region of Tuscany. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 167, 497 - 506. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.23679
- Heyer E, Brandenburg J, Leonardi M, Toupance B, Balaresque P, Hegay T, Aldashev A, Austerlitz F (2015) Patrilineal populations show more male transmission of reproductive success than cognatic populations in Central Asia, which reduces their genetic diversity. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 157, 537 - 543. doi: 10.1002/ajpa.22739
- Leonardi M, Gerbault P, Thomas MG, Burger J (2012) The evolution of lactase persistence in Europe. A synthesis of archaeological and genetic evidence. International Dairy Journal 22, 88 - 97. doi: 10.1016/j.idairyj.2011.10.010
- Betti L, Beyer RM, Jones ER, Eriksson A, Tassi F, Siska V, Leonardi M, Maisano Delser P, Bentley LK, Nigst PR, Stock JT, Pinhasi R, Manica A Climate shaped how Neolithic farmers and European hunter-gatherers interacted after a major slowdown from 6,100 bce to 4,500 bce. Nature Human Behaviour 4, 1004 - 1010. doi: 10.1038/s41562-020-0897-7
- Leonardi M, Boschin F, Boscato P, Manica A Following the niche: the differential impact of the last glacial maximum on four European ungulates. Communications Biology 5, doi: 10.1038/s42003-022-03993-7
- Leonardi M, Barbujani G, Manica A An earlier revolution: genetic and genomic analyses reveal pre-existing cultural differences leading to Neolithization. Scientific Reports 7, doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-03717-6
- Leonardi M, Librado P, Der Sarkissian C, Schubert M, Alfarhan AH, Alquraishi SA, Al-Rasheid KAS, Gamba C, Willerslev E, Orlando L Evolutionary Patterns and Processes: Lessons from Ancient DNA. Systematic Biology syw059 - syw059. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syw059