Parallel Developmental Evolution of Shavenbaby in Drosophila

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Summary of Proposed ResearchDifferent species have sometimes evolved similar appearances and behaviors as a result of exposure to similar ecological conditions, a phenomenon called "convergence". For example, marsupials evolved into a variety of forms resembling placental animals (for example, flying squirrels, anteaters, moles, mice, and wolves). Recent work in evolutionary developmental biology, or evo-devo, indicates that sometimes similar genes may underlie convergence. In one example that has been studied in detail, one species of drosophilid fly, D. sechellia, has evolved nearly-naked larvae, whereas most drosophild flies have hairy larvae. A second group of drosophilids, the D. virilis group, which diverged from D. sechellia approximately 60 million years ago, also contains some species with nearly-naked larvae. Evidence was presented previously that the same gene, called shavenbaby, caused these similar nearly-naked larvae in both cases. This hypothesis will be rigorously tested by performing a detailed analysis of shavenbaby gene evolution in the D. virilis group. This work will involve developing new methods that will allow tests of gene function within D. virilis. These critical functional tests will provide a compelling analysis of convergence and will indicate how the same gene can evolve in different species to cause the same result. This information will inform how often the same genes evolve to cause convergence. Dr. Stern's laboratory has a strong record of promoting women in science and training undergraduates in research. Since starting the lab at Princeton approximately half of the graduate students and postdocs have been women. The laboratory trains approximately 2-4 undergraduates each year, all of whom perform independent research and write a thesis based on this work. About half of these projects have resulted in publications and several students have continued on to graduate school in evolutionary biology.