Adaptation

Validating vulnerability: ground-truthing projections from genomic offsets

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How can we predict which species will adapt to climate change?

Across the globe, threatened species are already becoming impacted by the effects of climate change. While we understand many of the characteristics that make a species particularly vulnerable to climate change – those with small ranges, fragmented populations, or long lifespans, for example – predicting the capacity of a given species to respond remains a challenge. Developing analytical approaches and science-based frameworks to predict adaptive capacity in all species is a critical step forward for conservation management.

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Species diversity on PNF-404: a biodiversity assessment of the Pikmin series

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The Pikmin series

Like many “Nerds by Profession” (scientists), much of my love for evolutionary biology as a young kid was fostered by an amazing diversity of creatures, both real and fictional. A formative influence in the latter category for me was through gaming – while I hold love for many great gaming franchises, the Nintendo series Pikmin holds a special place in my heart. The series of puzzle-cross-strategy games primarily following the misadventures of diminutive space explorer Captain Olimar, who crash lands on what is heavily implied (and later confirmed) to be a post-human Earth (or PNF-404, as it’s known). There, he is greeted by a strange plant-like species called Pikmin, who assist him in repairing his ship or collecting treasure (depending on the game). The Pikmin games require a certain degree of strategy, planning and time-efficiency in order to complete the necessary tasks within the limited timeframe of the game (or individual day).

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A simplified guide to genomic vulnerability

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Predicting the future for biodiversity

Conservation biology is frequently referred to as a “crisis discipline“, a status which doesn’t appear to be changing any time soon. Like any response to a crisis, biologists of all walks of life operate under a prioritisation scheme – how can our finite resources be best utilised to save as much biodiversity as possible? This approach requires some knowledge of both current vulnerability and future threat – we need to focus our efforts on those populations and species which are most at-risk of extinction in the near (often immediate) future.

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Sweeping under the genomic rug: hard and soft sweeps

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Of alleles and selection

If you’ve read this blog more than once before, you’re probably sick of hearing about how genetic variation underlies adaptation. It’s probably the most central theme of this blog, and similarly one of the biggest components of contemporary biology. We’ve talked about different types of selection; different types of genes; different ways genes and selection can interact. And believe it or not, there’s still heaps to talk about! Continue reading →

In accordance with evolution: discordance and concordance in phylogeography

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The nature of phylogeography

Studying the interaction of environmental changes and species evolution is a critical component for predicting how species might – or might not – respond to new environmental stressors induced by climate change. We can study this at a variety of different levels and using many different data types, ranging from ‘traditional’ ecological studies which correlate phenotypic changes and environment to more narrower studies of ecological genetics and how allelic frequencies change in association with environmental gradients.

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