The Microevolution of Craniofacial Development in Threespine Stickleback

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Biologists have made great progress in understanding the genetic basis of simple traits, from the study of induced mutations in model organisms. However, most traits are complex, and their development is directed by many genes that are influenced by environmental conditions. The Cresko laboratory will examine natural populations of threespine stickleback fish to understand the developmental genetic basis of variation in complex head and jaw traits. These structures vary tremendously among individuals, populations and species. Despite this diversity, the development of head and jaw structures occurs through conserved genetic interactions and will prove highly informative about the proper development of similar structures in other vertebrates such as humans. This research will provide a much better understanding of the genetic basis of complex traits, be they characters important for stickleback, or the most common types of human diseases that afflict tens of millions of people. Dr. Cresko's group has an outstanding of outreach to elementary students and also of undergraduate training. They are also active contributors to the resources of the research community.