Peter Seeber

Research interest

My main interest is to establish robust methods for using ancient and modern DNA from environmental samples in order to detect species presence and to assess population sizes of terrestrial herbivores.

Current project

I am part of the project “Future Arctic Ecosystems (FATE)”, where I aim to elucidate changes in population sizes of various large herbivores in Siberia over the past millennia. For this, I examine environmental DNA of several specific herbivore proxies (i.e., selected coprophilous fungi and endo- and ectoparasites) using different methodological approaches such as metabarcoding and hybridization capture enrichment.

List of publications

• Seeber PA, Morrison T, Ortega A, Eat M, Greenwood AD, Czirják GÁ (2020). Immune differences in captive and free‑ranging zebras (Equus zebra and E. quagga). Mammalian Biology 100, 155–164.
• Seeber PA, McEwen GK, Löber U, Förster DW, East M, Melzheimer J, Greenwood AD (2019). Terrestrial mammal surveillance using hybridization capture of environmental DNA from African waterholes. Molecular Ecology Resources (online).
• Seeber PA, Franz M, Greenwood A, East M (2019). Life history stage and extrinsic factors affect behavioural time allocation in plains zebras (Equus quagga) in the Serengeti ecosystem. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 73, 126.
• Seeber PA, Dayaram A, Sicks F, Osterrieder N, Franz M, Greenwood AD (2019): Non-invasive detection of equid herpesviruses in fecal samples. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 85:e02234-18.
• Seeber PA, Quintard B, Sicks F, Dehnhard M, Greenwood AD, Franz M (2018). Environmental stressors may cause reactivation of latent equine Herpesvirus infections in captive Grévys zebras. PeerJ e5422.
• Costantini D, Seeber PA, Soilemetzidou S, et al. (2018): Physiological costs of infection: herpesvirus replication is linked to blood oxidative stress in equids. Scientific Reports 8:10347.
• Seeber PA, Franz M, Dehnhard M, Ganswindt A, Greenwood AD & East M (2018): Plains zebra (Equus quagga) adrenocortical activity increases during times of large aggregations in the Serengeti ecosystem. Hormones and Behavior 102C.
• Seeber PA, Soilemetzidou S, East M, Walzer C, Greenwood, AD (2017): Equine behavioral enrichment toys as tools for non-invasive recovery of viral and host DNA. Zoo Biology 36.
• Seeber PA, Duncan P, Fritz H, Ganswindt A (2013): Androgen changes and flexible rutting behaviour in male giraffes. Biology Letters 9.
• Seeber PA, Ciofolo I, Ganswindt A (2012): Behavioural inventory of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). BMC Research Notes 5.
• Seeber PA, Ndlovu HT, Duncan P, Ganswindt A (2012): Grazing behaviour of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe. African Journal of Ecology 50.
• Aurich C, Seeber P, Müller-Schlösser F (2007): Comparison of different extenders with defined protein composition for storage of stallion spermatozoa at 5° C. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 42.