We use transcriptomes and genomes to investigate the genetic basis of within and between species variation as well as the evolutionary forces shaping these, using phylogenetic and population genetics approaches
Photo Ana Catalan
One of the most pronounced sources of within-species variation is sexual dimorphism, much of which is associated with sex-biased gene expression. However, the genomic architecture and evolutionary processes shaping sex-biased gene expression remain poorly understood. Fireflies are an ideal system for addressing these questions, as they include species with largely monomorphic phenotypes as well as species in which extreme sexual dimorphism has evolved repeatedly and independently across the phylogeny. We use comparative genomics and transcriptomics to investigate the evolution and maintenance of sexually dimorphic traits.
Photo Ana Catalan
Understanding the demographic history of species is a key prerequisite for inferring migration patterns, local adaptation, and processes of incipient speciation. Using population-genomic approaches, we investigate the population history of European fireflies from the genera Lampyris, Luciola, and Lamprohiza. This research aims to reconstruct colonization routes and historical demographic dynamics in a comparative framework, and to assess how female neoteny may influence adaptation and speciation.
Photo Ana Catalan
Tropical regions harbor the highest levels of biodiversity worldwide, yet they remain among the most understudied areas of the globe. Firefly biodiversity in the Neotropics has been particularly neglected, leaving species identity and phylogenetic relationships largely unresolved. Together with collaborators, we are investigating Central American fireflies to document and characterize their current biodiversity. In parallel, we are uncovering putative new species among European fireflies, a group whose phylogenetic relationships also remain poorly understood. To achieve this, we combine morphological analyses with DNA metabarcoding and genomic approaches to characterize firefly biodiversity.
PI
regulatory evolution, adaptation, transcriptomics - fireflies
