DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Genetic causes of hybrid sterility

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The process of species formation is the chief source of biodiversity on Earth. Species formation occurs when two populations are no longer capable of producing offspring that are fertile or viable. Sterility of hybrid offspring is thought to result from incompatibilities between the genomes of the two parent species. This proposal examines the genetic architecture of hybrid sterility between two species of fruit flies. Specifically, the proposed research will utilize results from a previous genetic mapping study to examine the nature of interactions within and between genes that confer hybrid male sterility between Drosophila persimilis and D. pseudoobscura bogotana. Furthermore, it will also address a novel model for the evolution of hybrid sterility in another fruit fly species pair. The mechanisms by which species formation occurs have remained largely unresolved since Darwin first alluded to the problem in On the Origin of Species. This research will provide insight on how incongruities between diverging genomes can lead to hybrid dysfunction; such hybrid incompatibilities serve to generate new species and maintain distinct species. Understanding these mechanisms has become especially pertinent in the face of the extinction of many species by human activity.