Sex Differences
Males and females differ in many traits in addition to their gametes, including physiology, immunity, behavior and coloration, to name just a few. The sheer number of sex differences is curious since males and females share largely the same genome. We have developed transcriptomic approaches for studying how selection navigates the constraints of this shared genome to encode complex sex differences and variation within sexes. More recent work incorporates quantitative genetics and GWAS to study the genetic architecture of sexual dimorphism. .
Image: Poecilia reticulata, by Clara Lacy
Sex Chromosomes
Sex chromosomes have evolved independently more times that we can count, and this presents a conundrum: how can the genetic basis of sex be so variable when sexual phenotypes are so highly conserved across animals? We use comparative genomics to study the processes that spark sex chromosome formation, and the earliest evolutionary signatures of sex chromosome divergence. We study how the genome manages differences in X chromosome dose between males and females and how these dosage compensation mechanisms evolve. We are particularly interested in the Y chromosome, how it forms, its gene complement and its role in sex-specific variation. Long thought to be genomic wastelands, Y chromosome evolution is far more dynamic than previously thought.
Image: Poecilia parae, by Wouter van der Bijl and Ben Sandkam.
Behavioral Genomics
Behavior is a difficult phenotype because it is often context-dependent and highly plastic. However, behaviour can be a major component of animal fitness. We weave high resolution behavioral phenotyping with genome sequencing data to understand the genetic and gene expression patterns associated with key fitness-related behaviors, such as mate choice and sociability. Much of this work has been in collaboration with Niclas Kolm and Alex Kotrschal.
Image: Poecilia picta , by Clara Lacy.
Sex-Specific Genome Evolution
Males and females can experience different selection pressures, which can affect the evolution of genes in sex-specific ways and on different parts of the genome. We study how sexual selection affects transcriptome evolution, mutation and gene duplication, and in turn how this affects adaptive potential.
Image: By Jacelyn Shu
Science and Art
Effective science communication is a crucial part of making good science accessible and understandable. The interface of science and art is a rich area for collaboration, with both parts inspiring the other. We have had the joy of working with two artists in the lab, Clara Lacy and Jacelyn Shu. Both have helped us convey the beauty of evolution, inspired us to think more creatively, and made us up our graphics game. .
Image: The life cycle of sex chromosomes, by Jacelyn Shu
