A5089648747- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Research on scale insects
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Plant and animal studies
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Insect Resistance and Genetics
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Evolution and Genetic Dynamics
- Epigenetics and DNA Methylation
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Entomopathogenic Microorganisms in Pest Control
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Dermatological diseases and infestations
- Hemiptera Insect Studies
- Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
- Study of Mite Species
- Hymenoptera taxonomy and phylogeny
- Oil Palm Production and Sustainability
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing Symbiosis
- Agricultural pest management studies
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
University of Edinburgh
2015-2025
Clark University
2022
Institut de Biologia Evolutiva
2010-2022
University of Oxford
2012-2021
University of Massachusetts Amherst
2011-2021
University of Groningen
2009-2017
University of Minnesota
2016
University of California, Berkeley
2016
Danbury Hospital
2012
Warneford Hospital
2006-2007
The vast majority of eukaryotic organisms reproduce sexually, yet the nature sexual system and mechanism sex determination often vary remarkably, even among closely related species. Some species animals plants change across their lifespan, some contain hermaphrodites as well males females, determine with highly differentiated chromosomes, while others according to environment. Testing evolutionary hypotheses regarding causes consequences this diversity requires interspecific data placed in a...
Insects harbor a tremendous diversity of sex determining mechanisms both within and between groups. For example, in some orders such as Hymenoptera, all members are haplodiploid, whereas Diptera contain species with homomorphic well male female heterogametic chromosome systems or paternal genome elimination. We have established large database on karyotypes chromosomes insects, containing information over 13000 covering 29 insects. This constitutes unique starting point to report phylogenetic...
Abstract Lower visibility of female scientists, compared to male is a potential reason for the under‐representation women among senior academic ranks. Visibility in scientific community stems partly from presenting research as an invited speaker at organized meetings. We analysed sex ratio presenters E uropean S ociety volutionary B iology ( ESEB ) C ongress 2011, where all abstract submissions were accepted presentation. Women under‐represented speakers symposia (15% women) (46%), regular...
Cytosine methylation is an ancient epigenetic modification yet its function and extent within genomes highly variable across eukaryotes. In mammals, controls transposable elements regulates the promoters of genes. insects, DNA generally restricted to a small subset transcribed genes, with both intergenic regions (TEs) depleted methylation. The evolutionary origin these patterns are poorly understood. Here we characterise evolution arthropod phylum. While common ancestor arthropods had low...
The size-complexity hypothesis is a leading explanation for the evolution of complex life on earth. It predicts that in lineages have undergone major transition organismality, larger numbers lower-level subunits select increased division labour. Current data from multicellular organisms and social insects support positive correlation between number cells cell types colony size castes. However, implication these results unclear, because are correlated with other variables which may also...
Understanding why some organisms reproduce by sexual reproduction while others can asexually remains an important unsolved problem in evolutionary biology. Simple demography suggests that asexuals should outcompete sexually reproducing organisms, because of their higher intrinsic rate increase. However, the majority multicellular have reproduction. The widely accepted explanation for this apparent contradiction is asexual lineages a extinction rate. A number models indicated population size...
Abstract Genome elimination – whereby an individual discards chromosomes inherited from one parent, and transmits only those the other parent is found across thousands of animal species. It more common in association with inbreeding, under male heterogamety, males, form paternal genome elimination. However, reasons for this broad pattern remain unclear. We develop a mathematical model to determine how degree sex determination, genomic location, gene expression parental origin eliminated...
Abstract Phenotypic differences between sexes are often mediated by differential expression and alternative splicing of genes. However, the mechanisms that regulate these patterns remain poorly understood. The mealybug, Planococcus citri , displays extreme sexual dimorphism exhibits an unusual instance sex‐specific genomic imprinting, paternal genome elimination (PGE), in which chromosomes males highly condensed eliminated from sperm. has no sex both PGE predicted to be under epigenetic...
Germline-restricted DNA has evolved in diverse animal taxa and is found several vertebrate clades, nematodes, flies. In these lineages, either portions of chromosomes or entire are eliminated from somatic cells early development, restricting the genome to germline. Little known about why germline-restricted evolved, especially flies, which 3 families, Chironomidae, Cecidomyiidae, Sciaridae, carry (GRCs). We conducted a genomic analysis GRCs fungus gnat Bradysia ( Sciara ) coprophila...
Abstract Meiosis is generally a fair process: each chromosome has 50% chance of being included into gamete. However, meiosis can become aberrant with some chromosomes having higher making it gametes than others. Yet, why and how such systems evolve remains unclear. Here, we study the unusual reproductive genetics mealybugs, where only maternal-origin are in during male meiosis, while paternal eliminated. One species—Pseudococcus viburni—has segregating B that drives by escaping genome...
Abstract According to the pre‐adaptation hypothesis, evolution of insecticide resistance in plant‐eating insects co‐opts adaptations that initially evolved during chemical warfare with their host plants. Here, we used comparative statistics test two predictions this hypothesis: (i) Insects more diverse diets should evolve insecticides. (ii) Feeding on plants strong or qualitative defenses prime an insect lineage resistance. Both are supported by our tests. What makes especially noteworthy is...
Abstract Genetic conflict is considered a key driver in the evolution of reproductive systems with non-Mendelian inheritance, where parents do not contribute equally to genetic makeup their offspring. One most extraordinary examples inheritance paternal genome elimination (PGE), form haplodiploidy which has evolved repeatedly across arthropods. Under PGE, males are diploid but only transmit maternally inherited chromosomes, while paternally homologues excluded from sperm. This asymmetric...
Abstract Social insects display extreme phenotypic differences between sexes and castes even though the underlying genome can be almost identical. Epigenetic processes have been proposed as a possible mechanism for mediating these differences. Using whole bisulfite sequencing of queens, males, reproductive female workers we characterised sex- caste-specific methylome bumblebee Bombus terrestris . We identified potential role DNA methylation in histone modification which may influence sex...
Abstract The relationship of DNA methylation and sex-biased gene expression is high interest, it allows research into mechanisms sexual dimorphism the development potential novel strategies for insect pest control. Asian citrus psyllid, Diaphorina citri Kuwayama, a major vector causative agents Huanglongbing (HLB), which presents an unparalleled challenge to production worldwide. Here, we identify X chromosome D. investigate differences in transcription landscapes between adult virgin males...
Hamilton's "haplodiploidy hypothesis" holds that inflated sororal relatedness has promoted altruistic sib rearing in haplodiploids, potentially explaining their apparent predisposition to eusociality. Here, we suggest haplodiploidy may instead promote eusociality simply by facilitating sex-ratio adjustment. Specifically, enable bias toward the more helpful sex, owing "local resource enhancement," and such evolution of helping individuals "rarer-sex effect." This could explain why appears...
Abstract Extraordinarily high rates of recombination have been observed in some eusocial species. The most popular explanation is that increased increases genetic variation among workers, which turn colony performance, for example by increasing parasite resistance. However, support the generality higher organisms remains weak, due to low sample size and a lack phylogenetic independence observations. Recombination rate, although difficult measure directly, correlated with chromosome number....
The ability to reproduce is the key trait that distinguishes living organisms from inorganic matter, and strategies used achieve successful reproduction are almost as diverse themselves. In animals, most widespread form of involves separate male female sexes: Each sex produces haploid gametes via meiosis, two fuse a new diploid organism. some cases, both parents contribute equally nuclear cytoplasmic genomes their offspring. However, such fully symmetric represents extreme end continuum...