Mastodawn

New meta-analysis out on the role of sexual selection in speciation!

Across the Animal kingdom, we found that stronger sexual selection is significantly (though weakly) associated with greater species richness in comparative studies — suggesting a modest role for sexual selection in speciation.

A great collaboration with Tim Janicke, Jeanne Tonnabel, Tamra Mendelson & Mike Ritchie.

https://doi.org/10.1093/evlett/qraf038

#Evolution #Speciation #SexualSelection #MetaAnalysis

Sexual selection and speciation: a meta-analysis of comparative studies

Abstract. Understanding the drivers of biodiversity is a central goal in evolutionary biology. In particular, sexual selection has long been proposed as a

OUP Academic

Kamu İş İlanları, Haberler Oct 19

The Role of Mutation in Evolution: Engine of Genetic Diversity https://theblogofscience.com/the-role-of-mutation-in-evolution-engine-of-genetic-diversity/

#Mutation #Evolution #Genetics #DNA #NaturalSelection #Biology #GeneticVariation #Speciation #Genome #Science

The Role of Mutation in Evolution: Engine of Genetic Diversity - The Blog of Science

Mutation represents the fundamental source of all genetic variation, serving as the raw material upon which evolutionary forces act. In every species, from

The Blog of Science

Universität Bern Oct 15

Even seemingly small ecological differences can spark the evolution of new species: a study from #unibern shows that in sticklebacks, the mere presence of another fish species is enough to produce different forms — and thus, new species. https://mediarelations.unibe.ch/media_releases/2025/media_releases_2025/creation_of_new_species/index_eng.html
@snf_ch
#Evolution #Biodiversity #Speciation

Ars Technica News Sep 26

Fiji’s ants might be the canary in the coal mine for the insect apocalypse https://arstechni.ca/XYrb #speciation #evolution #Science #Biology #insects #ants #Fiji

Fiji’s ants might be the canary in the coal mine for the insect apocalypse

A new genetic technique lets museum samples track population dynamics.

Ars Technica

American Naturaliﬆ Sep 17

Till Selection Do Us Part? Testing Sexual Selection’s Role in Speciation
Summary & Analysis by Pooja Radhakrishnan of "Evolutionary lability of sexual selection and its implications for speciation and macroevolution" by Januario et al.
https://www.amnat.org/an/newpapers/April-2025-Januario.html

#Speciation #SexualSelection #Macroevolution #EEB

Till Selection Do Us Part? Testing Sexual Selection’s Role in Speciation

Read about “Evolutionary lability of sexual selection and its implications for speciation and macroevolution” by Matheus Januario, Renato C. Macedo-Rego, and Daniel L. Rabosky (April 2025) Januario et al. found no correlation between sexual selection intensity & speciation rates or proxy traits (SSD and dichromatism). Because sexual selection intensity has high intraspecific variation and low phylogenetic signal, its macroevolutionary impacts are weak

GQE-Le Moulon Sep 3

⚠️ Postdoctoral position at @lemoulon : mechanisms of reproductive isolation between crops and their wild relatives ⚠️

➡️ Location : @ideev.lab @universite_paris_saclay
Department : Quantitative Genetics and Evolution

➡️ Open and close dates: August 2025 until filled (will begin reviewing applications immediately).

➡️ https://moulon.inrae.fr
➡️ https://www.ideev.universite-paris-saclay.fr/news/2025/09/postdoctoral-scholar-position-mechanisms-of-reproductive-isolation-between-crops-and-their-wild-relatives-at-gqe-le-moulon/

#evolutionarygenomics #domestication #speciation #incompatibilities #plant @maudten #job #postdoc #emploi #postdoctoral #maudtenaillon

michael Aug 25

20-Aug-2025
Most known species evolved during 'explosions’ of diversity, shows first analysis across ‘tree of life’
Majority of living species concentrated among few disproportionately rich groups with high rates of diversification, shows first-of-its-kind study

https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1094699

#science #ecology #evolution #biodiversity #speciation

Amelia Cervera 🧬Aug 10

The molecular evolutionary basis of species formation revisited.

#Speciation #HybridIncompatibility #IncompatibilityGenes #SpeciationGenes

https://www.cell.com/trends/genetics/fulltext/S0168-9525(25)00167-2

William Perry Jul 25

Just published 'Dietary Differentiation Between Sympatric #Ecotypes of #Astatotilapia calliptera From Lake Masoko, #Tanzania Revealed by Metabarcoding'! https://bit.ly/3GTRKjI Great to be part of this work led by Dr Kirthana Pillay (FSBI PhD). Nostalgic, given that my MSci thesis looked at the population genetics in these #cichlids in "Darwin's puddle"! Diet of the benthic and littoral ecomorphs differ, indicating resource partitioning, implicating trophic divergence with sympatric #speciation.

American Naturaliﬆ Jul 15

How do mating signals diverge early in speciation? Rodríguez et al. conduct experimental host shifts with Enchenopa treehoppers that resulted in subtle but non-trivial signal divergence in a few generations. This was fueled by standing genetic variation and plasticity, and unrelated to host specialization.

Read now ahead of print!
https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/736182

#mating #speciation #treehoppers #generations #geneticVariation #genetics