Publications

We develop new theory for studying sex-differential selection across a complete life cycle and test our models with genotypic and reproductive success data from approximately 250,000 UK Biobank individuals. We uncover polygenic signals of sex-differential selection affecting survival, reproductive success, and overall fitness.

We measured the effects of prolonged evolution under enforced monogamy or polyandry on the evolution of respiration, activity levels, metabolism, and resistance in the fly Drosophila pseudoobscura. Polyandry flies were more active, and invested more in metabolites associated with increased endurance capacity and efficient energy metabolism and regulation, namely lipids and glycogen.

We examined the fate of experimentally immune-challenged worker honeybees that had been reintroduced to the hive. We find that they often leave the hive, both by ‘altruistically’ leaving under their own power, and by being dragged out by other workers. Using a chemical transfer experiment, we show that the latter response is mediated by chemicals present on the body surface of immune challenged workers.

We find evidence that the mitochondrial DNA carried by Drosophila larvae affects the fitness of other cohabiting larvae – a mitochondrial ‘indirect genetic effect’. This result implies that the effects of mitochondrial DNA on the phenotype of males (specifically, male larvae) may have evolutionary consequences, in contrast to the received wisdom that mtDNA inside males is ‘invisible to selection’ due to maternal inheritance of mtDNA.

We test whether variation in sexual selection can predict speciation and extinction rates across up to 5,812 species of passerine birds. Male‐biased sexual selection, and specifically sexual size dimorphism, predicted two of the three measures of speciation rates that we examined.

This review summarizes our current understanding of the evolution of resistance to naturally-occurring and synthetically-created gene …

We find evidence that the mitochondrial DNA carried by Drosophila larvae affects the fitness of other cohabiting larvae – a mitochondrial ‘indirect genetic effect’. This result implies that the effects of mitochondrial DNA on the phenotype of males (specifically, male larvae) may have evolutionary consequences, in contrast to the received wisdom that mtDNA inside males is ‘invisible to selection’ due to maternal inheritance of mtDNA.

We measured the effects of a natural gene drive, Sex Ratio (SR), on fitness in Drosophila pseudoobscura. We find that SD is very costly, especially when homozygous, and that it also has transgenerational effects on offspring fitness and sex ratio. Using a model, we show that these effects may explain the frequency and clinal patterns of SR in nature.

We argue that the effects of mitochondrial DNA on a male phenotype can respond to selection, provided that males interact with their female ‘mitochondrial relatives’, and that the male phenotype affects female fitness. We present experimental evidence that female fitness depends on the mitochondrial DNA carried by interacting males, and discuss the implications for ‘mother’s curse’.

We measured the effects of a natural gene drive, Segregation Distorter (SD), on fitness in Drosophila melanogaster. We find that SD is very costly, especially when homozygous, and that it also has transgenerational effects on offspring fitness and sex ratio. Using a model, we show that these effects may explain the puzzling rarity of SD in nature.

This paper presents eco-evo simulations investigating the feasibility of a newly-proposed type of gene drive, the W-shredder. W-shredders might someday be used to control populations of pests and pathogens that have ZW sex determination, such as Lepidopteran pests, parasitic trematodes, and cane toads.

We find that researchers tend to co-publish with same-gendered colleagues, and that this tendency is presently increasing. We found no evidence that senior academics drive this pattern, or that the pattern is stronger in fields where women are in the minority. Interestingly, journals with a high impact factor for their discipline tended to have comparatively many mixed-gender teams.

Many ants, bees, and wasps use similar or identical chemicals as queen pheromones, even though these taxa diverged >150MYA, and evolved eusociality independently. Here, we use mRNA sequencing to identify queen pheromone-sensitive genes in 4 ant and bee species, and show that pheromones affect many of the same transcriptional modules. Pheromone-sensitive genes tend to be ancient, positively selected, peripheral in transcriptomic networks, hypomethylated, and caste-specific in their expression.

We synthesised 459 effect sizes from 65 pertinent experimental evolution studies using meta-analysis, and found that sexual selection on males tends to elevate the mean and reduce the variance for many fitness traits. The beneficial effect was stronger in female traits than males, and for populations evolving under stressful conditions. The results have implications for conservation and captive breeding programs.

We use theoretical models to examine the evolution of female choice when there is both intralocus sexual conflict and local adaptation. We show that IASC can weaken female preferences for high-condition males – or even cause a preference for males in low condition – depending on the relative benefits of producing well-adapted sons versus daughters. We discuss the relevance of our results to conservation genetics and empirical evolutionary biology.

Our understanding of chemical communication between social insect queens and workers has advanced rapidly in recent years. Several …

The breeding and non-breeding ‘castes’ of eusocial insects provide a striking example of role-specific selection, where each caste …

The capacity of a population to adapt to selection (evolvability) depends on whether the structure of genetic variation permits the …

In a recent study, Amsalem, Orlova & Grozinger (2015) performed experiments with Bombus impatiens bumblebees to test the hypothesis …

Using experimental evolution, we test whether allowing or preventing sexual selection on males affects the rate at which flour beetle populations evolve resistance (and susceptibility) to insecticide.

Raia et al. propose that the evolution of the shape and complexity of animal ornaments (e.g., deer antlers) can be explained by …

The major transition to eusociality required the evolution of a switch to canalize development into either a reproductive or a helper, …

Queen pheromones mediate the reproductive division of labor in social insect colonies and provide novel opportunities for investigating …

DNA methylation is emerging as an important regulator of polyphenism in the social insects. Research has concentrated on differences in …

Both naturally occurring and synthetic ‘meiotic drivers’ violate Mendel’s law of equal segregation and can rapidly spread through …

Polyandry has been hypothesized to allow females to “bet hedge” against mating only with unsuitable mates, reducing variance in …

Observer bias and other “experimenter effects” occur when researchers’ expectations influence study outcome. These biases are strongest …

Garcia-Gonzalez et al. [1] conducted an original and elegant experiment examining whether fertilization of a female’s eggs by …

A major unsolved question in evolutionary biology concerns the relationship between natural and sexual selection. Sexual selection …

A focus on novel, confirmatory, and statistically significant results leads to substantial bias in the scientific literature. One type …

Segregation distorters located on sex chromosomes are predicted to sweep to fixation and cause extinction via a shortage of one sex, …

Queen pheromones are among the most important chemical messages regulating insect societies yet they remain largely undiscovered, …

Studies of sexual communication typically focus on the design and information content of a signal of interest, but the timing of signal …

As recently outlined in TREE [1], many animals and plants are thought to load their male gametes with multiple types of RNA, some of …

Queen pheromones are chemical signals produced by reproductive individuals in social insect colonies. In many species they are key to …

Eusocial insects exhibit reproductive division of labour, in which one or a few queens perform almost all of the reproduction, while …

This book chapter presents a theoretical model looking at the evolution of female choice when male condition is determined by …

The nonreproductive helpers of many arthropod, bird and mammal species are a perennial puzzle for evolutionary biologists. Theory and …

Multiple mating by females (polyandry) requires an evolutionary explanation, because it carries fitness costs in many species. When …

Genomic imprinting refers to a pattern of gene expression in which a specific parent’s allele is either under-expressed or …

Biological signaling usually occurs in complex environments, yet signals are most often studied in controlled experiments that strip …

A major evolutionary transition to eusociality with reproductive division of labor between queens and workers has arisen independently …

Reproductive skew theory seeks to explain how reproduction is divided among group members in animal societies. Existing theory is …

Organisms are predicted to behave more favourably towards relatives, and kin-biased cooperation has been found in all domains of life …

The ultimate causes of honest signaling remain a subject of debate, with questions remaining over the relative importance of costs and …

Polyandry, by elevating sexual conflict and selecting for reduced male care relative to monandry, may exacerbate the cost of sex and …

Communication between organisms involves visual, auditory, and olfactory pathways. In solitary insects, chemical recognition cues are …

Social organisms have evolved diverse and complex regulatory mechanisms that allow them to coordinate group-level functions. Signals …

Signal costs and evolutionary constraints have both been proposed as ultimate explanations for the ubiquity of honest signaling, but …

Sperm competition can produce fascinating adaptations with far‐reaching evolutionary consequences. Social taxa make particularly …

Trade‐offs between current and future resource allocation can select for elevated reproductive effort in individuals facing mortality. …

Social animals use recognition cues to discriminate between group members and non-members. These recognition cues may be conceptualized …

The paper by Nowak et al. has the evolution of eusociality as its title, but it is mostly about something else. It argues against …

Group-living species produce signals that alter the behavior and even the physiology of their social partners. Social insects possess …

The selective forces that shape and maintain eusocial societies are an enduring puzzle in evolutionary biology. Ordinarily sterile …

Social insects offer unique opportunities to test predictions regarding the evolution of cooperation, life histories and communication. …

The causes and consequences of variation in sperm quality, survival and ageing are active areas of research in ecology and evolution. …

Many internally‐fertilizing animals produce seminal fluid which is transferred along with sperm during mating. Seminal fluid typically …

Spermicide (i.e., female-mediated sperm death) is an understudied but potentially widespread phenomenon that has important …

Sperm size and number are important determinants of male reproductive success. The genus Drosophila exhibits a remarkable diversity of …

Sperm competition and cryptic female choice profoundly affect sperm morphology, producing diversity within both species and …

Organisms partition resources into life-history traits in order to maximise fitness over their expected lifespan. For the males of many …