MVDr. Oldřich Tomášek Ph.D.

Position full-time researcher
Direction evolutionary ecology and ecophysiology

+420 560 590 604

Research interests

  • evolution of life histories and associated physiological adaptations,
  • physiological mechanisms associated with individual fitness and ageing,
  • condition-dependent sexual signalling.

Running Projects

A hazy barrier: Mid-elevation exchange of avian communities on Mt. Cameroon (2021–2023)

Education

  • 2004: MVDr. (DVM) in Veterinary Medicine – University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno.
  • 2007: PhD in Avian, Reptile and Small Mammal Medicine – University of Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Sciences Brno.
  • 2018: PhD in Zoology – Charles University, Prague.

Work experience

  • 2020–present: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences – Researcher,
  • 2011–2020: Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences – Postdoctoral researcher,
  • 2014–2018: Charles University, Department of Zoology, Prague – Postdoctoral researcher,
  • 2007–2009: Veterinární klinika Růžodol and Zoo Liberec – Veterinarian.

International experience

  • 2019/07–2020/01: Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, Skotsko (prof. Daniel Nussey) – Postdoctoral fellowship,
  • 2018/07–2019/01: Université de Sherbrooke, Kanada (dr. Alan Cohen) – Postdoctoral fellowship,
  • 2006/02–2006/04: University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Rakousko (prof. Michael Hess) – Postgraduate fellowship,
  • field research in tropical Africa (Cameroon).

Current PhD students

  • Kamila Vlčková: Causes and consequences of variation in blood glucose level in birds and its integration with energy metabolism and stress response mechanisms – University of South Bohemia (supervisor, advisor: T. Albrecht).
  • Matouš Janča: Ecology of free fatty acids and associated physiological mechanisms in avian blood – Masaryk University Brno (supervisor, advisor: T. Albrecht).
  • Sampath Anandan Kumar: Molecular mechanisms of life-history evolution – Masaryk University Brno (supervisor; advisor: T. Albrecht).
  • Ondřej Kauzál: Steroid hormone concentrations, feather growth and life history strategies of passerine birds – Charles University, Prague (advisor; supervisor: T. Albrecht).
  • Lukáš Pazdera: Reproductive senescence in the barn swallow – Charles University, Prague (supervisor; advisor: T. Albrecht).

Former PhD students

  • Lukáš Bobek: Ecophysiological mechanisms of life-history evolution – Masaryk University Brno (advisor; supervisor: T. Albrecht).
  • Marie Kotasová Adámková: Ornamental signalling of sexual hormones and stress in socially monogamous passerine – Masaryk University Brno (advisor; supervisor: T. Albrecht).

Publications

2023

Míčková K, Tomášek O, Jelínek V, Šulc M, Pazdera L, Albrechtová J, Albrecht T (2023). Age-related changes in sperm traits and evidence for aging costs of sperm production in a sexually promiscuous passerine. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 11: 1105596.
Mikula P, Tomášek O, Romportl D, Aikins TK, Avendaño JE, Braimoh-Azaki BDA, Chaskda A, Cresswell W, Cunningham SJ, Dale S, Favoretto GR, Floyd KS, Glover H, Grim T, Henry DAW, Holmern T, Hromada M, Iwajomo SB, Lilleyman A, Magige FJ, Martin RO, de A Maximiano MF, Nana ED, Ncube B, Ndaimani H, Nelson E, Van Niekerk A, Pienaar C, Piratelli AJ, Pistorius P, Radkovic A, Reynolds C, Røskaft E, Shanungu GK, Siqueira PR, Tarakini T, Tejeiro-Mahecha N, Thompson ML, Wamiti W, Wilson M, Tye DRC, Tye ND, Vehtari A, Tryjanowski P, Weston MA, Blumstein DT, Albrecht T (2023). Bird tolerance to humans in open tropical ecosystems. Nature Communications, 14:1210 2146.
Schmiedová L, Kreisinger J, Kubovčiak J, Těšický M, Martin J, Tomášek O, Kauzálová T, Sedláček O, Albrecht T (2023). Gut microbiota variation between climatic zones and due to migration strategy in passerine birds. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14: 1080017.

2022

Adámková M, Tomášek O, Albrecht T (2022). An unexpected age-related pattern in feather growth contributes to age-dependent ornament expression in a passerine bird. Journal of Ornithology, 163: 987-996.
Horák K, Bobek L, Adámková M, Kauzál O, Kauzálová T, Manialeu JP, Nguelefack TB, Nana ED, Jønsson KA, Munclinger P, Hořák D, Sedláček O, Tomášek O, Albrecht T (2022). Feather growth and quality across passerines is explained by breeding rather than moulting latitude. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 289: 20212404.
Kauzálová T, Tomášek O, Mulder E, Verhulst S, Albrecht T (2022). Telomere length is highly repeatable and shorter in individuals with more elaborate sexual ornamentation in a short-lived passerine. Molecular Ecology, 31: 6172-6183.
Kubovčiak J, Schmiedová L, Albrecht T, Těšický M, Tomášek O, Kauzálová T, Kreisinger J (2022). Within-community variation of interspecific divergence patterns in passerine gut microbiota. Ecology and Evolution, 12: e9071.
Kvapil P, Tomášek O, Bártová E, Harej M, Kastelic M, Primožič T, Kašpárková N, Račnik J (2022). Validation of medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) as a non-invasive blood sampling tool for hematology and biochemistry profiling in mammals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 9:1210 831836.
Schmiedová L, Tomášek O, Pinkasová H, Albrecht T, Kreisinger J (2022). Variation in diet composition and its relation to gut microbiota in a passerine bird. Scientific Reports, 12: 3787.
Šulc M, Hughes AE, Mari L, Troscianko J, Tomášek O, Albrecht T, Jelínek V (2022). Nest sanitation as an effective defence against brood parasitism. Animal Cognition, 25: 991-1002.
Tomášek O, Bobek L, Kauzálová T, Kauzál O, Adámková M, Horák K, Kumar SA, Manialeu JP, Munclinger P, Nana ED, Nguelefack TB, Sedláček O, Albrecht T (2022). Latitudinal but not elevational variation in blood glucose level is linked to life history across passerine birds. Ecology Letters, 25: 2203-2216.

2021

Kumar SA, Albrecht T, Kauzál O, Tomášek O (2021). No evidence for trade-offs between lifespan, fecundity and basal metabolic rate mediated by liver fatty acid composition in birds. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9: 638501.

2020

Hund AK, Hubbard JK, Albrecht T, Vortman Y, Munclinger P, Krausová S, Tomášek O, Safran RJ (2020). Divergent sexual signals reflect costs of local parasites. Evolution, 74: 2404-2418.

2019

Adámková M, Bílková V, Tomášek O, Šimek Z, Albrecht T (2019). Feather steroid hormone concentrations in relation to age, sex, and molting time in a long‐distance migratory passerine. Ecology and Evolution, 9: 9018-9026.
Michálková R, Tomášek O, Adámková M, Kreisinger J, Albrecht T (2019). Extra-pair paternity patterns in European barn swallows Hirundo rustica are best explained by male and female age rather than male ornamentation. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 73: 119.
Pap PL, Fülöp A, Adámková M, Cepák J, Michálková R, Safran RJ, Stermin AN, Tomášek O, Vágási CI, Vincze O, Wilkins MR, Albrecht T (2019). Selection on multiple sexual signals in two Central and Eastern European populations of the barn swallow. Ecology and Evolution, 9: 11277-11287.
Støstad HN, Rowe M, Johnsen A, Tomášek O, Albrecht T, Lifjeld JT (2019). Sperm head abnormalities are associated with excessive omega-6 fatty acids in two finch species feeding on sunflower seeds. Journal of Avian Biology, 50: e02056.
Tomášek O, Bobek L, Králová T, Adámková M, Albrecht T (2019). Fuel for the pace of life: Baseline blood glucose concentration co‐evolves with life‐history traits in songbirds. Functional Ecology, 33: 239-249.

2018

Klvaňa P, Cepák J, Munclinger P, Michálková R, Tomášek O, Albrecht T (2018). Around the Mediterranean: an extreme example of loop migration in a long-distance migratory passerine. Journal of Avian Biology, 49: e01595.
Kreisinger J, Schmiedová L, Petrželková A, Tomášek O, Adámková M, Michálková R, Martin J, Albrecht T (2018). Fecal microbiota associated with phytohaemagglutinin-induced immune response in nestlings of a passerine bird. Ecology and Evolution, 8: 9793-9802.

2017

Blažek R, Polačik M, Kačer P, Cellerino A, Řežucha R, Methling C, Tomášek O, Syslová K, Terzibasi Tozzini E, Albrecht T, Vrtílek M, Reichard M (2017). Repeated intraspecific divergence in life span and aging of African annual fishes along an aridity gradient. Evolution, 71: 386-402.
Kreisinger J, Kropáčková L, Petrželková A, Adámková M, Tomášek O, Martin J, Michálková R, Albrecht T (2017). Temporal stability and the effect of transgenerational transfer on fecal microbiota structure in a long distance migratory bird. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8: 50.
Kropáčková L, Těšický M, Albrecht T, Kubovčiak J, Čížková D, Tomášek O, Martin J, Bobek L, Králová T, Procházka P, Kreisinger J (2017). Codiversification of gastrointestinal microbiota and phylogenyin passerines is not explained by ecological divergence. Molecular Ecology, 26: 5292-5304.
Rymešová D, Králová T, Promerová M, Bryja J, Tomášek O, Svobodová J, Šmilauer P, Šálek M, Albrecht T (2017). Mate choice for major histocompatibility complex complementarity in a strictly monogamous bird, the grey partridge (Perdix perdix). Frontiers in Zoology, 14: 9.
Tomášek O, Albrechtová J, Němcová M, Opatová P, Albrecht T (2017). Trade-off between carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation and sperm resistance to oxidative challenge. Proceedings of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 284: 20162444.

2016

Opatová P, Ihle M, Albrechtová J, Tomášek O, Kempenaers B, Forstmeier W, Albrecht T (2016). Inbreeding depression of sperm traits in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata. Ecology and Evolution, 6: 295-304.
Tomášek O, Gabrielová B, Kačer P, Maršík P, Svobodová J, Syslová K, Vinkler M, Albrecht T (2016). Opposing effects of oxidative challenge and carotenoids on antioxidant status and condition-dependent sexual signalling. Scientific Reports, 6: 23546.
Vitousek MN, Tomášek O, Albrecht T, Wilkins MR, Safran RJ (2016). Signal traits and oxidative stress: a comparative study across populations with divergent signals. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 4: 56.

2015

Petrželková A, Michálková R, Albrechtová J, Cepák J, Honza M, Kreisinger J, Munclinger P, Soudková M, Tomášek O, Albrecht T (2015). Brood parasitism and quasi-parasitism in the European barn swallow Hirundo rustica rustica. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 69: 1405-1414.
Vinkler M, Bainová H, Bryjová A, Tomášek O, Albrecht T, Bryja J (2015). Characterisation of Toll-like receptors 4, 5 and 7 and their genetic variation in the grey partridge. Genetica, 143: 101-112.

2014

Schnitzer J, Exnerová A, Poláková R, Vinkler M, Tomášek O, Munclinger P, Albrecht T (2014). Male ornamentation and within-pair paternity are not associated with male provisioning rates in scarlet rosefinches Carpodacus erythrinus. Acta Ethologica, 17: 89-97.

2013

Rymešová D, Tomášek O, Šálek M (2013). Differences in mortality rates, dispersal distances and breeding success of commercially reared and wild grey partridges in the Czech agricultural landscape. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 59: 147-158.