Giokas Sinos

• BSc, Department of Biology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (1988)
• PhD, Department of Biology, National & Kapodistrian University of Athens (1996)

Courses:

• Undergraduate courses: i) Animal Biology I, ii) Ethology, iii) Biogeography, iv) Biodiversity & Conservation Biology.
• Postgraduate courses: i) Sampling Design, Environmental Data Analysis & Ecological Models, ii) Biodiversity Assessment and Biomonitoring of Species & Habitats.

Supervisions:

• Supervision of 7 PhD, 16 MSc and 27 undergraduate theses.

• My research focuses on the relationship between ecological and evolutionary processes. Specifically, my research interests include: (1) the study of the evolutionary ecology of terrestrial animals, focusing on their phylogeny and the processes of their speciation and differentiation, as well as their behavioral, morphological, ecological, physiological and population adaptations, (2) the investigation of the biodiversity patterns of island and continental animal communities and the processes that shape them.
• I have extensive experience in: (1) Ecological field research. Since 1987 I have participated in numerous in numerous expeditions to collect biological material in mainland Greece, and in more than 80 islands and islets of the Aegean and Ionian Seas, (2) in the generation and analysis of molecular, ecological and morphological data.
• I have participated in 40 research projects of the Departments of Biology of the Universities of Athens, Crete and Patras. I was Scientific Leader in 20 of them.

Representative Publications

• Kassara C, Evangelidis A, Tsiopelas N, Barboutis C, Giokas S (2022). Seasonal and daily activity patterns by Eleonora’s Falcon Falco eleonorae based on GPS telemetry: A contribution to the species’ movement ecology at its breeding grounds. Bird Conservation International 32: 154-171.
• Thanou E, Kypraios-Skrekas V, Kornilios P, Giokas S (2021). Ecomorphological divergence and lack of gene flow in two sympatric Balkan slow worms (Squamata: Anguidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 134: 443-460.
• Giokas S, Maximiadi M, Kassara C, Alexandrou O, Catsadorakis G (2020). Mixed-Species Flock Fishing in Dalmatian Pelicans: Patterns and Benefits. Ardea 108: 65-72.
• Tzortzakaki O., Kati V., Panitsa M, Tzanatos E, Giokas S (2019). Butterfly diversity along the urbanization gradient in a densely-built Mediterranean city: Land cover is more decisive than resources in structuring communities. Landscape & Urban Planning, 183: 79-87.
• Tzortzakaki O, Kati V, Kassara C, Tietze D, Giokas S (2018). Seasonal patterns of urban bird diversity in a Mediterranean coastal city: the positive role of open green spaces. Urban Ecosystems 21: 27-39.
• Papageorgiou D, Barboutis C, Kassara C, Giokas S (2017). Habitat selection of woodchat shrikes Lanius senator during spring stopover is related to foraging strategy. Current Zoology 63: 139-149.
• Mettouris O, Megremis G, Giokas S (2016). A newt does not change its spots: using pattern mapping for the identification of individuals in large populations of newt species. Ecological Research 31: 483-489.
• Kornilios P, Stamataki E, Giokas S (2015). Multiple reversals of chirality in the land snail genus Albinaria (Gastropoda, Clausiliidae). Zoologica Scripta 44: 603-611.
• Giokas S, Páll-Gergely B, Mettouris O (2014). Nonrandom variation of morphological traits across environmental gradients in a land snail. Evolutionary Ecology 28: 323-340.
• Pitta E, Kassara C, Giokas S, Sfenthourakis S (2013). Compositional dissimilarity patterns of reptiles and amphibians in insular systems around the world. Ecological Research. 28: 633-642.
• Kornilios P, Giokas S, Lymberakis P, Sindaco R (2013). Phylogenetic position, origin and biogeography of Palearctic and Socotran blind-snakes (Serpentes: Typhlopidae). Molecular Phylogenetics & Evolution 68:35-41.
• Sotiropoulos K, Eleftherakos K, Tsaparis D, Kasapidis P, Giokas S, Legakis A, Kotoulas G (2013). Fine scale spatial genetic structure of two syntopic newts across a network of ponds: implications for conservation. Conservation Genetics 14: 385-400.
• Giokas S, Thomaz D, Douris V, Lecanidou R, Rodakis GC (2010). 5000 years of molecular evolution in a population of the land snail Albinaria caerulea transported by humans. Journal of Molluscan Studies 76: 49–56.
• Giokas S, Sfenthourakis S (2008). An improved method for the identification of areas of endemism using species co-occurrences. Journal of Biogeography 35: 893-902.
• Giokas S, Karkoulis P, Pafilis P, Valakos E (2007). Relictual physiological ecology in the threatened land snail Codringtonia helenae: A cause for decline in a changing environment? Acta Oecologica 32: 269-278.
• Giokas S, Mylonas M, Rolán-Alvarez E (2006). Disassociation between weak sexual isolation and genetic divergence in a hermaphroditic land snail and implications about chirality. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 19: 1631-1640.
• Sfenthourakis S, Tzanatos E, Giokas S (2006). Species co-occurrence: the case of congeneric species and a causal approach to patterns of species association. Global Ecology and Biogeography 15: 39-49.
• Giokas S, Mylonas M (2004). Dispersal patterns and population structure of the land snail Albinaria coerulea (Gastropoda: Pulmonata: Clausiliidae). Journal of Molluscan Studies 70: 107-116.
• Giokas S, Mylonas M, Sotiropoulos K (2000). Gene flow and differential mortality in a contact zone between two Albinaria species (Gastropoda; Clausiliidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 71: 755-770.
• Sfenthourakis S, Giokas S, Mylonas M (1999). Testing for nestedness in the terrestrial isopods and snails of Kyklades islands (Aegean archipelago, Greece). Ecography 22: 357-373.
• Douris V, Giokas S, Lecanidou R, Mylonas M, Rodakis GC (1998). Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA and of morphological characters suggest a need for taxonomic re-evaluation within the Alopiinae (Gastropoda, Clausiliidae). Journal of Molluscan Studies 64: 81-92.