Current Projects
Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism​ in Pre-Adult Life History Stages
Sexual dimorphism is virtually ubiquitous in adult stages of sexually reproducing metazaons but is rare in earlier stages. Is this due to developmental constraint or lack of ecological selection for dimorphism. My laboratory is studying this using classical genetics and experimental evolution in Drosophila melanogaster.
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Evolution of Facultative Parthenogenesis
The ability of females to produce without mating has evolved independently many times in insects including at least 10 times in Drosophila. Working with colleagues in Taiwan, I am interested in using indivdual-based genetic models to investigate the genetic and population conditions under which parthenogenesis evolves.
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Phenology of Drosophila elegans in Taiwan
Drosophila elegans is native to Japan, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia and has a unique ecology in which it mates on short-lived flowers in which females then lay eggs. Larvae develop on the dropped flowers. This species uses many different species of flowers, including both native and introduced species. It exists in many urban and disturbed habitats and represents an excellent example to study urban ecological adaptations. We are interested in fully characterizing the patterns of flower usage throughout the year in all parts of Taiwan. To tdo this, my colleagues in Taiwan and I have started a citizen science project in which people can report sightings of D. elegans using a Google form (a mobile app is also in development). The Google form page is here if you are in Taiwan and would like to help out.
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Evolution of Parental Care from Non-Care
Parental care has evolved independently many times in many different animal groups. The selective factors underlying its evolution are well studied in familiar groups with complex systems of parental care (e.g. fish, mammals, birds) but the dynamics underlying the emergence of simple parental care traits in species ancestrally lacking any care is not well studied. I am using simple population genetic computer simulations to study the requirements for parental care in terms of costs and selective factors to better understand both why parental care is so common and why it has not evolved in some taxa.
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