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Monthly Archives: April 2016
The slow, and sometimes incomplete, journey to diploidy
Whether you are reading this as a plant, an animal, or fungus, it is likely that some ancestor of yours doubled up on genomes. However, it is likely that these extra genomes disappeared over evolutionary time. What gives? Where are those extra … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, genomics, quantitative genetics, speciation
Tagged Bob Ross, polyploidy, whole genome duplication
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Sweeps and Demographic Inference
Population genetics presents us with numerous conundrums – several of which have to do with how the same genomic disposition can be “reached” over evolutionary time with multiple alternate demographic or selective processes. I have discussed several of these issues … Continue reading
Posted in bioinformatics, evolution, genomics, population genetics, selection, theory
Tagged gene flow, genomics, natural selection, population genetics
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One of these things is not like the other……
While we know that bacteria are pretty scandalous with their DNA, not minding horizontal gene transfer (HGT) and such (which can be pretty confounding when trying to discuss species concepts), and although it’s clear that this kind of genetic material … Continue reading
The simpler cichlid: a recent adaptive radiation
If I was asked to name a few of the most compelling systems in evolutionary biology, I’d certainly start with Darwin’s Finches. Next might come peppered moths, African cichlids, stickleback, Caribbean Anolis lizards, or Lenski’s E. coli. What’s interesting about … Continue reading
Posted in adaptation, evolution, selection, speciation
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The Fourth Reviewer: More suggestions about suggesting reviewers
Tim Vines is an evolutionary ecologist who found his calling in the process of peer review. He was Managing Editor of Molecular Ecology from 2008 to 2015, launched The Molecular Ecologist in 2010, and is the founder and Managing Editor … Continue reading
Island-Hopping with an E.I.D.
If you live in the U.S. and feel like Zika virus is getting closer to home, that’s because it is. Although there are no known cases of Zika transmission by natural vectors in the lower 48, experts have stressed that … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, genomics, medicine, phylogenetics, Uncategorized
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Neglected mycoplankton, no more
Taylor and Cunliffe (2016) provide a window into the world of the plankton in which they focus on a rarely studied component, the planktonic fungi (mycoplankton). Marine mycoplankton exist as free-living filamentous and yeast forms or as parasite of other … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
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How to make the most out of your phylogenetic study
Phylogenetic studies are crucial for ecology and evolution. However, their usefulness for comparative biology or meta-analyses can vary considerably. Especially the inclusion of unidentified species (“Balanus sp.”) obstructs their use in comparative studies. How can I attach life history or morphological data … Continue reading
Posted in data archiving, evolution, howto, phylogenetics, Uncategorized
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The Molecular Ecologist Summer Meetings Round-up
Summer conferences are some of the best places to get up-to-date with your field, meet new collaborators, and hatch new ideas. The Molecular Ecologist contributors will be out in force this year, and we’d like to meet you! Below you … Continue reading