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Two sexes, one genome: but how?
Males and females of many species often look and behave very differently. However, the two sexes share an almost identical set of genes. So, how do these remarkable sex differences arise? Our research is centered on understanding the genomic and evolutionary processes underlying sex differences, and the manifestation and resolution of sexual conflict. |
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Sex chromosome evolution and degenerationLack of recombination on the sex-limited W and Y chromosomes means that loci are locked together in physical linkage and decay through a combination of neutral processes. However, degeneration may be countered by selection for sex-specific fitness, where genes maintained on the W and Y should harbor loci for female and male function respectively. Our research explores the trade-off between sex-specific selection and degradative forces in sex chromosome evolution.
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Origins and turnover of sex chromosomesWhy do new sex chromosomes evolve in the first place? What drives turnover between sex determination systems? We study the evolutionary processes surrounding the formation of sex chromosomes and early stages of divergence. Specifically, why do sex chromosomes stop recombining and how is recombination halted? Species with nascent sex chromosomes, such as groups of fish, reptiles and insects, offer exciting opportunities to answer these questions.
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Sexual ecology of the genomeWithin species, a single genome can encode multiple distinct phenotypes by varying expression levels of the underlying loci. Similarly, across species, regulatory variation is implicated in major phenotypic differences that underlie adaptive change. We test theories about how gene expression varies across males and females, and between species, and the role of sexual selection in expression evolution to test how changes in gene expression can drive adaptive change.
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For more current research please watch my Jasper-Loftus Hills Young Investigator prize talk at Evolution 2017, Portland.
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