My research interests have generally revolved around understanding the genetics and selective pressures that drive the phenotypic variation in natural populations. To this end, I have focused on traits linked to sexual dimorphism, which are also ecologically-important, as well as adaptation.
To date, I have worked with fishes and aquatic organisms because of their unparalleled phenotypic diversity, making them powerful natural models with which to answer fundamental evolutionary and ecological questions.
General research interests (and questions)
1) Why are some species more or less sexually dimorphic than others? What might constrain the evolution of sexual dimorphism?
2) What is the genetic basis of such morphological and behavioral variation?
3) How does sexual selection/conflict shape the genome and behavioral evolution?
To date, I have worked with fishes and aquatic organisms because of their unparalleled phenotypic diversity, making them powerful natural models with which to answer fundamental evolutionary and ecological questions.
General research interests (and questions)
1) Why are some species more or less sexually dimorphic than others? What might constrain the evolution of sexual dimorphism?
2) What is the genetic basis of such morphological and behavioral variation?
3) How does sexual selection/conflict shape the genome and behavioral evolution?
Past projects (some still ongoing collaboration)
1) Opsin and color evolution among Southeast Asian medaka species
(with Prof. Jun Kitano - National Institute of Genetics)
1) Opsin and color evolution among Southeast Asian medaka species
(with Prof. Jun Kitano - National Institute of Genetics)
2) Genetic editing of critical reproductive traits in zebrafish (with Prof. Yong Zhu - ECU)
During my Ph.D., I also dabbled with genetic editing tools, at a time when they were just emerging. I successfully generated lines of zebrafish knockouts using TALEN molecules, and tested how variation in gene knockout impacted fitness-relevant trait. We showed that knocking out the androgen receptor negatively affects courtship behavior.
During my Ph.D., I also dabbled with genetic editing tools, at a time when they were just emerging. I successfully generated lines of zebrafish knockouts using TALEN molecules, and tested how variation in gene knockout impacted fitness-relevant trait. We showed that knocking out the androgen receptor negatively affects courtship behavior.
3) Evolution of colorful ornaments in females (with Prof. Jeffrey McKinnon)
My PhD focused on the evolution of female coloration in threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). I investigated the genetic, physiological, and behavioral correlates of the male-typical throat coloration, which is typically restricted to males but sometimes found in females (image below). I tested for the adaptive, non-adaptive, and mechanistic explanations for the masculinized trait, and showed that the male-typical trait provides no social advantage to females (i.e. no badge status) or is not associated with male-like physiology. Using genetic linkage mapping, I demonstrated that the male-typical coloration results partly from a shared genetic architecture or correlation between the sexes, providing insights on the mechanistic constraints on female ornament and sexual dimorphism evolution. |
4) Energetics in reproductive tissues (with Dr. Matthew Grober)
During my MSc research, I investigated gonad-specific energetics to determine the energy invested toward reproduction in the blackeye goby (Rhinogobiop nicholshii). This work was rooted in sexual selection theory, in which males often invest less energy in their gonads than females. The goal was to understand empirically the role of gonadal energetics in fish behavior and mating systems. As predicted, females invest more energetically; however, males also invest a non-trivial amount of energy in their testes, suggesting that sperm and their additional seminal and tissue components are costly to produce and maintain. |
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