Position 6. Genetic Basis of Evolutionary Change (Liley Slot 2002)

The explosive growth of sequence data from the genomes of a variety of organisms provides unparalleled opportunities to unveil the steps that evolution has taken.  In a number of landmark studies, investigators have revealed the genetic changes that give crop tomatoes their sweetness, that differentiate modern corn from its ancestor (teosinte), and that reproductively isolate certain species of fruitfly.  These studies involve a number of  genetic techniques, including quantitative trait loci (QTL) analyses, candidate  marker searches, and genetic introgression methods.

Despite the many strengths of the evolutionary group at UBC in the Departments of Botany, Zoology, Forest Science, and Mathematics, we do not currently have an evolutionary biologist who focuses on uncovering the genetic alterations responsible for evolutionary change.  This will be a burgeoning area throughout all of biology, in particular within evolutionary biology, over the next few decades as a result of the increasing detail of genetic maps.  Hiring a biologist that has expertise in the statistical, cross-breeding, and molecular methods required to find these genes will (1) ensure that the group stays abreast of novel developments in this critical area, (2) help promote linkages between different core areas within the departments (e.g. between the molecular 

and evolutionary groups within the Department of Zoology), and (3) would  assist on-going research in several departments.

Research at UBC has revealed ecologically and evolutionarily important changes in such things as stickleback morphology (Drs. McPhail, Schluter, and Taylor of the Department of Zoology), growth and quality characteristics of tree  species (Drs. Aitken and Ritland of the Department of Forest Sciences), and  mode of reproduction in plants and fungi Drs. Whitton and Berbee of the  Department of Botany).  Understanding how such morphological shifts are accomplished by genetic changes would greatly enrich these research activities at UBC.  Furthermore, there are several mathematical, computational, and statistical questions that arise in the search for these genes.  This hire could therefore increase connections among the life science and Math, Statistics, and Computer Science departments.  Finally, given that unravelling the genetic basis of evolutionary change will be a growth area within biology.  This hire would ensure that our undergraduate and graduate students continue to  receive excellent training in the techniques and concepts at the core of  modern biology.