WEDNESDAY (due to Ascension Day on 10 May)
Evolution of new sex chromosomes in frogs
In many species, sexual differentiation is crucial for reproduction and it is therefore surprising when the genetic control of this fundamental process evolves rapidly. To better understand how this rapid evolution occurs, we are studying frogs that have extensive variation in the genetic control of sex determination. We have identified sex-linked genes, and studied genomic processes in newly emergent sex chromosomes, such as recombination and natural selection. Our results demonstrate that novel triggers for sex determination can arise in rapid succession, and that genes linked to sex determination are frequently homologous to sex-linked genes in other very distantly related species, including humans. The implications of this work are to inform us how tightly regulated systems evolve, including the role of genomic redundancy in fast evolution.
Host: Matthias Stöck