A5019579446- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Plant and animal studies
- Morphological variations and asymmetry
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Insect symbiosis and bacterial influences
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Genetic and Clinical Aspects of Sex Determination and Chromosomal Abnormalities
- Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Genetic Mapping and Diversity in Plants and Animals
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Chromosomal and Genetic Variations
- Silk-based biomaterials and applications
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Genomics and Chromatin Dynamics
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
Oxford Brookes University
2015-2025
Genomics (United Kingdom)
2018-2021
University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
2008-2013
University of Vienna
2008
Abstract The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster is a pivotal model for invertebrate development, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, and disease. whole family Drosophilidae, which contains over 4,400 species, offers plethora of cases comparative evolutionary studies. Despite long history phylogenetic inference, many relationships remain unresolved among the genera, subgenera, species groups in Drosophilidae. To clarify these relationships, we first developed set new genomic markers...
The emergence and diversification of morphological novelties is a major feature animal evolution.1York J.R. McCauley D.W. origin evolution vertebrate neural crest cells.Open Biol. 2020; 10190285Crossref PubMed Scopus (32) Google Scholar,2Tomoyasu Y. What crustaceans can tell us about the insect wings other morphologically novel structures.Curr. Opin. Genet. Dev. 2021; 69: 48-55Crossref (7) Scholar,3Moczek A.P. On origins novelty diversity in development evolution: case study on beetle...
Abstract Strict maternal inheritance is considered a hallmark of animal mt DNA . Although recent reports suggest that paternal leakage occurs in broad range species, it still an exceptionally rare event. To evaluate the impact on evolution , essential to reliably estimate frequency natural populations. Using allele‐specific real‐time quantitative PCR ( RT ‐q ), we show heteroplasmy common populations with at least 14% individuals carrying multiple mitochondrial haplotypes. However, average...
A striking diversity of compound eye size and shape has evolved among insects. The number ommatidia their are major determinants the visual sensitivity acuity eye. Each ommatidium is composed eight photoreceptor cells that facilitate discrimination different colours via expression various light sensitive Rhodopsin proteins. It follows variation in size, shape, opsin composition likely to directly influence vision. We analyzed these three traits D. melanogaster, simulans mauritiana. show...
Convergent phenotypic evolution is often caused by recurrent changes at particular nodes in the underlying gene regulatory networks (GRNs). The genes such evolutionary 'hotspots' are thought to maximally affect phenotype with minimal pleiotropic consequences. This has led suggestion that if a GRN understood sufficient detail, path of may be predictable. repeated loss larval trichomes among Drosophila species shavenbaby (svb) expression. svb also required for development leg trichomes, but...
Animal terminalia represent some of the most diverse and rapidly evolving structures in animal kingdom, for this reason have been a mainstay taxonomic description species. The Drosophila melanogaster, with its wide range experimental tools, recently become focus increased interest fields development, evolution, behavior. However, studies from different disciplines often used discrepant terminologies same anatomical structures. Consequently, terminology genital parts has barrier to...
• Current models for the generation of new gametophytic self-incompatibility specificities require that neutral variability segregates within specificity classes. Furthermore, one predicts greater ratios nonsynonymous to synonymous substitutions in pollen than pistil genes. All assume arise by mutation only. To test these models, 21 SFB (the S-locus) alleles from a wild Prunus spinosa (Rosaceae) population were obtained. For seven these, corresponding S-haplotype was also characterized. The...
Identifying the genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic change is essential to understanding how gene regulatory networks and ultimately genotype-to-phenotype map evolve. It recognized that microRNAs (miRNAs) have potential facilitate evolutionary [1Li J. Zhang Z. miRNA variation in human evolution.Trends Genet. 2013; 29: 116-124Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (33) Google Scholar, 2Niwa R. Slack F.J. The evolution of animal microRNA function.Curr. Opin. Dev. 2007; 17: 145-150Crossref...
Abstract Male sexual characters are often among the first traits to diverge between closely related species and identifying genetic basis of such changes can contribute our understanding their evolutionary history. However, little is known about architecture or specific genes underlying evolution male genitalia. The morphology claspers, posterior lobes, anal plates exhibit striking differences Drosophila mauritiana D. simulans. Using QTL introgression-based high-resolution mapping, we...
SUMMARY Eye and head morphology vary considerably among insects even between closely related species of Drosophila . Species the D. melanogaster subgroup, other species, exhibit a negative correlation eye size face width (FW); for example, mauritiana generally has bigger eyes composed larger ommatidia conversely narrower than its sibling species. To better understand evolution morphology, we investigated genetic developmental basis differences in FW male simulans QTL mapping showed that...
Male genital structures are among the most rapidly evolving morphological traits and often only features that can distinguish closely related species. This process is thought to be driven by sexual selection may reinforce species separation. However, while genetic bases of many phenotypic differences have been identified, we still lack knowledge about genes underlying evolutionary in male organs organ size more generally. The claspers (surstyli) periphallic play an important role copulation...
Abstract Background The compound eyes of insects exhibit extensive variation in ommatidia number and size, which affects how they see underlies adaptations their vision to different environments lifestyles. However, very little is known about the genetic developmental bases differences eye size. We previously showed that larger Drosophila mauritiana compared D. simulans are generally caused by size rather than number. Furthermore, we identified an X-linked chromosomal region results when...
Wolbachia are maternally inherited bacteria, which typically spread in the host population by inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). In Drosophila melanogaster, is quite common but CI variable, with most of studies reporting low levels CI. Surveying mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation and infection status a worldwide D. melanogaster collection, we found that was not randomly distributed among flies different mtDNA haplotypes. This preferential some haplotypes could be caused recent...
Abstract The study of speciation has advanced considerably in the last decades because increased application molecular tools. In particular, quantification gene flow between recently diverged species could be addressed. Drosophila simulans and mauritiana diverged, probably allopatrically, from a common ancestor approximately 250 000 years ago. However, these share one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype indicative recent episode introgression. To extent species, we took advantage large...
Abstract The compound eyes of insects exhibit striking variation in size, reflecting adaptation to different lifestyles and habitats. However, the genetic developmental bases insect eye size is poorly understood, which limits our understanding how these important morphological differences evolve. To address this, we further explored natural within between four species Drosophila melanogaster subgroup. We found extensive among species, flies with larger generally had a shorter inter-ocular...
Abstract The paradigm of isolation in southern refugia during glacial periods followed by expansions interglacials, producing limited genetic differentiation northern areas, dominates European phylogeography. However, the existence complex structured populations formerly glaciated and islands connected to mainland areas maxima, call for alternative explanations. We reconstructed mtDNA phylogeography widespread Polyommatus Icarus butterfly with an emphasis on British Isles. found distinct...
Abstract In the last 240,000 years, males of Drosophila simulans species clade have evolved striking differences in morphology their epandrial posterior lobes and claspers (surstyli). These appendages are used for grasping female during mating so divergence is most likely driven by sexual selection. Mapping studies indicate a highly polygenic generally additive genetic basis these morphological differences. However, we limited understanding gene regulatory networks that control development...
Abstract Despite the popularity of Drosophila melanogaster in functional and evolutionary genetics, global pattern natural variation has not yet been comprehensively described this species. For first time, we report a combined survey using neutral microsatellites mitochondrial sequence jointly. Thirty‐five populations originating from five continents were compared. In agreement with previous microsatellite studies, sub‐Saharan African most variable ones. Consistent reports single ‘out...
A striking diversity of compound eye size and shape has evolved among insects.The number ommatidia their are major determinants the visual sensitivity acuity eye.Each ommatidium is composed eight photoreceptor cells that facilitate discrimination different colours via expression various light sensitive Rhodopsin proteins.It follows variation in size, shape, opsin composition likely to directly influence vision.We analyzed these three traits D. melanogaster, simulans mauritiana.We show...
Abstract The vinegar fly Drosophila melanogaster is a pivotal model for invertebrate development, genetics, physiology, neuroscience, and disease. whole family Drosophilidae, which contains over 4000 species, offers plethora of cases comparative evolutionary studies. Despite long history phylogenetic inference, many relationships remain unresolved among the groups genera in Drosophilidae. To clarify these relationships, we first developed set new genomic markers assembled multilocus data 17...
Abstract The compound eyes of insects exhibit striking variation in size, reflecting adaptation to different lifestyles and habitats. However, the genetic developmental bases insect eye size is poorly understood, which limits our understanding how these important morphological differences evolve. To address this, we further explored natural within between four species Drosophila melanogaster subgroup. We found extensive among species, flies with larger generally had a shorter inter-ocular...
Abstract The compound eyes of insects exhibit extensive variation in ommatidia number and size, which affects how they see underlies adaptations their vision to different environments lifestyles. However, very little is known about the genetic developmental bases differences eye size. We previously showed that larger Drosophila mauritiana compared D. simulans generally caused by size rather than number. Furthermore, we identified an X-linked chromosomal region results when introgressed into...