Evolutionary and Behavioural Genetics

The interaction of genes and genomes with neutral and selective processes including complex behaviours in humans, model organisms and natural populations

As Dobzhansky said, nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, and an evolutionary framework underlies all of genetics and genomics. A specifically evolutionary approach is taken by theme members studying complex behaviours including circadian rhythms in flies, mice, crustaceans and annelids (Bambos Kyriacou, Ezio Rosato, Eran Tauber), ecology and behaviour in fish (Iain Barber, Paul Hart), the conflict between maternally and paternally inherited genes in bees (Eamonn Mallon), and the role of bacteriophage in the evolution of bacteria (Martha Clokie). The role of gene loss and duplication, polyploidy and repeat sequence diversification in the evolution of cereals and other plants is an additional focus (Sinéad Drea, Pat Heslop-Harrison, Trude Schwarzacher). Human evolutionary genetic studies, including comparative studies in non-human primates and other species, give information on the processes and evolutionary forces affecting genomic change, and also the histories of human populations  (Ed Hollox, Mark Jobling).

Theme members are named within the sub-themes to which they have the closest affiliation; not all sub-theme affiliations are shown.