Laboratory of Evolutionary and Ecological Genomics

We are interested in studying how genomic structure and function affect development and are influenced by the environment in ecological and evolutionary time scales.

In particular, our work focuses on comparative evolutionary and ecological genomics related to the evolution of developmental pathways, particularly those that underlie the development of the sexual phenotype.

In most animals, sex is determined by genotypic mechanisms (GSD) such as by sex chromosomes. However, in some vertebrates sex is determined by the environmental temperature (TSD), as occurs commonly in reptiles (Valenzuela and Lance 2004). Why such diverse sex determining mechanisms exist remains one of the most fascinating conundrums in evolutionary biology (Valenzuela 2004a, b), and one which can only be solved by understanding how these systems work and how they differ at the molecular level. These questions are at the core of my research. We integrate comparative evolutionary genomics and the emerging fields of ecological genomics and eco-devo with classic ecology to: (1) characterize the nature, extent and significance of the divergence of gene networks underlying sex determining mechanisms across taxa, (2) to elucidate how sex ratios are produced in nature, and (3) to understand the co-evolution between sex determination and genome organization.

An important component of the research in my lab relates to the evolution of life histories, population and ecological genetics, and tropical biology, particularly of reptiles. This component, which addresses basic questions in evolutionary ecology, provides a critical view to the ecological context in which genomes and sex determining mechanisms evolve, and is also the basis of our conservation component. Indeed, effective management strategies must be based on solid biological information about the target taxa, and our work provides knowledge to facilitate the conservation of endangered reptiles.

Available Again

Temperature-dependent Sex Determination in Vertebrates

One of the hottest topics in evolutionary biology and conservation biology for decades, temperature- dependent sex determination (TSD) was discovered in the 1960's, yet no book has ever before been devoted entirely to the subject. Authored by many of the world’s foremost authorities on the subject, this is a comprehensive work that compiles, analyzes and integrates existing information about this field.

Distributed by NBN / Rowman & Littlefield (www.rowmanlittlefield.com)
Available through book retailers.

Links TEMPERATURE DEPT SEX DETER