Current Projects
Variation in Female Mate Preferences
Not all females prefer the same male or have the same strength of preference, nor do their preferences remain inflexible to environmental influences. While historically considered “noise,” variation in female preference is now being studied for its role in maintaining variation in male traits as well as the evolution of complex male traits. Understanding variability in female preference, and viewing preference as a life history trait, could also improve our understanding of the evolution of female preference itself. Our lab continues to examine the causes and adaptive nature of variation in female preference.
Alternative Reproductive Tactics
More than one reproductive tactic (ARTs) within a sex can lead to intralocus tactical conflict (IATC), where traits that are genetically correlated across the ARTs are constrained from reaching their optimal states. The importance of this evolutionary process has not been well studied. We have been examining IATC within the swordtail X. multilineatus, and we are starting to document alternative mating strategies in other species of swordtails with the goal of examining the potential for IATC in a phylogenetic context.
Swordtails as a Model System for Diet Induced Obesity
Swordtail fishes can develop a protrusion in the nuchal region called “nuchal hump” both in their natural environment (X. birchmanni) and in laboratory when fed high-calorie diets (X. multilineatus). Comparative transcriptomic analyses of high- and low-calorie- diet-fed X. multilineatus males showed differential expression of genes relevant to appetite control, metabolism, diabetes, energy and lipid regulation. Given that the overabundance of food sources and low activity levels are known to lead to obesity across taxa, the natural variation found across the swordtail species in the development of the nuchal hump provides a model system for examining mechanisms leading to variation in fat deposition as well as correlated metabolic syndromes.