John Ames

Geographically limited dispersal can shape genetic population structure and result in a correlation between genetic and geographic distance, commonly called isolation-by-distance. Despite the prevalence of isolation-by-distance in nature, to date few studies have empirically demonstrated the processes that generate this pattern, largely because few populations have direct measures of individual dispersal and pedigree information. Intensive, long-term demographic studies and exhaustive genomic su

A central goal of population genetics is to understand how genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow shape allele frequencies through time. However, the actual processes underlying these changes—variation in individual survival, reproductive success, and movement—are often difficult to quantify. Fully understanding these processes requires the population pedigree, the set of relationships among all individuals in the population through time. Here, we use extensive pedigree and genomic info

Exceptionally high thermoelectric figure of merit (zT>2), has been reported for (Ag1−ySbTe2)0.05(PbTe)0.95, which may involve the nanoscale microstructure. However, conflicting reports on the same materials claim only zT of 1 or less. Here we show that (Ag1−ySbTe2)0.05(PbTe)0.95 materials are multiphase on the scale of millimeters despite appearing homogeneous by x-ray diffraction and routine electron microscopy. Using a scanning Seebeck microprobe, we find significant variation of Seebec

Abstract Background The female-specific W chromosomes and male-specific Y chromosomes have proven difficult to assemble with whole-genome shotgun methods, creating a demand for new approaches to identify sequence contigs specific to these sex chromosomes. Here, we develop and apply a novel method for identifying sequences that are W-specific. Results Using the Illumina Genome Analyzer, we generated sequence reads from a male domestic chicken (ZZ) and mapped them to the existing female (ZW) genom

Restriction site-associated DNA sequencing or genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) approaches allow for rapid and cost-effective discovery and genotyping of thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in multiple individuals. However, rigorous quality control practices are needed to avoid high levels of error and bias with these reduced representation methods. We developed a formal statistical framework for filtering spurious loci, using Mendelian inheritance patterns in nuclear families, that

ABSTRACT A central goal of population genetics is to understand how genetic drift, natural selection, and gene flow shape allele frequencies through time. However, the actual processes underlying these changes - variation in individual survival, reproductive success, and movement - are often difficult to quantify. Fully understanding these processes requires the population pedigree, the set of relationships among all individuals in the population through time. Here, we use extensive pedigree and

AbstractSystems of oppression-racism, colonialism, misogyny, cissexism, ableism, heteronormativity, and more-have long shaped the content and practice of science. But opportunities to reckon with these influences are rarely found within academic science, even though such critiques are well developed in the social sciences and humanities. In this special section, we attempt to bring cross-disciplinary conversations among ecology, evolution, behavior, and genetics on the one hand and critical pers

Abstract Geographically limited dispersal can shape genetic population structure and result in a correlation between genetic and geographic distance, commonly called isolation-bydistance. Despite the prevalence of isolation-by-distance in nature, to date few studies have empirically demonstrated the processes that generate this pattern, largely because few populations have direct measures of individual dispersal and pedigree information. Intensive, long-term demographic studies and exhaustive ge

Isolation caused by anthropogenic habitat fragmentation can destabilize populations. Populations relying on the inflow of immigrants can face reduced fitness due to inbreeding depression as fewer new individuals arrive. Empirical studies of the demographic consequences of isolation are critical to understand how populations persist through changing conditions. We used a 34-year demographic and environmental dataset from a population of cooperatively breeding Florida Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma coerul

Sex differences in plumage color in hybrid canaries are controlled by a single enzyme

Sex-biased demography, including sex-biased survival or migration, can alter allele frequency changes across the genome. In particular, we can expect different patterns of genetic variation on autosomes and sex chromosomes due to sex-specific differences in life histories, as well as differences in effective population size, transmission modes, and the strength and mode of selection. Here, we demonstrate the role that sex differences in life history played in shaping short-term evolutionary dyna

Abstract Cooperatively breeding species frequently live in family groups of related individuals, with helpers delaying their own reproduction and participating in alloparental care, predator vigilance, and territory defense. It remains challenging to disentangle the roles of the indirect fitness benefits of helping kin and the potential direct fitness benefits helpers receive in the evolution of cooperative breeding. While many studies test for associations between helper relatedness and helping

Abstract Hybrid zones occur in nature when populations with limited reproductive barriers overlap in space. Many hybrid zones persist over time, and different models have been proposed to explain how selection can maintain hybrid zone stability. More empirical studies are needed to elucidate the role of ecological adaptation in maintaining stable hybrid zones. Here, we investigated the role of exogenous factors in maintaining a hybrid zone between western gulls ( Larus occidentalis ) and glaucou