Testing links between life-history and genome evolution

染色体是遗传的基本单位。它们在数量、大小和结构上往往因物种而异，也可能因物种内的个体而异。染色体的进化与生物体本身的进化密切相关，这使得它们对于理解生物多样性的产生和维持非常重要。然而，我们对影响染色体进化的力量的理解仍然有限。该项目将研究在各种脊椎动物和无脊椎动物类群中越来越多地发现的不寻常的染色体链的形成，使用它们最常见的生物体：白蚁。我们将检验近亲繁殖驱动减数分裂性连锁染色体进化的假设。

Chromosomes are fundamental units of inheritance. They often differ in number, size and structure between species, and may also differ between individuals within a species. The evolution of chromosomes is tied to that of organisms themselves, making them important for understanding the generation and maintenance of biodiversity. Yet, our understanding of the forces that influence chromosome evolution remains limited. This project will investigate the formation of unusual chains of chromosomes that are increasingly being found in various vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, using an organism in which they are most commonly found: termites. We will test the hypothesis that inbreeding drives the evolution of meiotic sex linked chromosomes.