The lab is equipped with infrastructure necessary for both theoretical and empirical research. For
theoretical work there is an 80 processor Beowulf cluster available for performing simulations.
For empirical work there is general bench space, an incubator array, and two Drosophila
imaging workstations. A few sample projects are listed below, there are many other projects available
and planned.
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Fly wings, wild populations
What is the evolvability of directional asymmetry?
Directional asymmetry is interesting because, although the trait evolves in nature, it is the only trait that doesn't
evolve in lab populations. By measuring the pattern of DA of individuals from different populations within the same species
we can learn more about the time scales on which DA does evolve.
How is developmental stability influenced by environmental factors?
We can measure the influence of chemical stresses like pollution and oil by measuring the fluctuating asymmetry (FA)
of individuals from populations exposed to varying degrees of these stresses. These sorts of studies can also be done with
other sorts of organisms like plants.
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Fly wings, lab studies
How is developmental stability influenced by inbreeding?
We can measure the influence of inbreeding (a form of genetic stress) by measuring the fluctuating asymmetry (FA)
of individuals from populations subjected to differing degrees of inbreeding and comparing their FA values.
How is developmental stability influenced by environmental factors?
We can measure the influence of chemical stresses like pollution and oil by measuring the fluctuating asymmetry (FA)
of individuals from populations exposed to varying degrees of these stresses. By growing flies from the same populations
and comparing stressed and unstressed treatments we can investigate more detailed aspects of the relationship between
developmental stability and environmental stress.
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Mathematical and computer studies
How long does it take for a non-additive advantageous allele to become fixed in a population?
This is being studied via individual based computer simulations that allow a new mutant allele the chance to be selected in
a base population. Many theoretical studies of this process have been performed in the past, but those results are typically
only valid under special conditions of additivity; these simulations can be performed for dominant and recessive alleles
and used to derive/discover new theoretical results.
How do more complex social systems alter the dynamics of advantageous alleles?
Most of the results about the evolution of new mutations are for abstract populations without social structures,
these studies could allow us to see if certain social structures may make populations possessing them better or worse at fixing
advantageous alleles and fix them faster or slower when they do.
Why do some companies seem to specialize on subsets of a market while others remain diverse?
This is being studied via individual based computer simulations that allow a population of strategies
to compete for a resource base of customers with preferences. In addition to helping us learn about the evolution of
economic decisions this is analogous to foragers choosing food sources in ecology and can help us learn about the evolution
of niche generalists and specialists.
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