Iulia Barutia

Research Interest

Well over 80% of all living species belong to the group of arthropods. Their enormous diversity has allowed them to conquer most of Earth`s habitats. It is fascinating how virtually the same bauplan could be adapted to such a variety of environmental demands: be it the variable number of appendages, the variable functions of certain appendages, the variable number of sensory organs or the variable complexity of those sensory organs. Often seen as simple or primitive, these organisms unravel to us ingenious ways to survive, to adapt, and to interact with the environment.

Previously, I studied functional adaptations of centipede legs, as well as the ability of some centipede species to regenerate their legs.

My current research interest lays in the complexity of auditory and olfactory systems of hexapods. More precisely, the mechanical and physiological properties of their sensory organs, as well as the interaction in the processing of the two senses, related to their ecological niche and behavioral patterns.