Student projects offered by Alexus Roberts Hugghis
Evolutionary integration – the correlated evolution of traits across a group of related species – influences patterns of phenotypic diversification. Strong integration has been linked to increased diversification due to adaptive evolution along evolutionary lines of least resistance. In contrast, weak integration (i.e., modularity) increases diversification by allowing relatively independent evolution of subunits within intricate functional systems. In addition to exploring the relationship between integration and diversity, there is substantial evidence that genetic, developmental, and functional processes generate patterns of evolutionary integration. However, only a few studies examine the rate at which covariance structure evolves in response to changing intrinsic and extrinsic conditions over macroevolutionary timescales.
Combining functional morphology, ecology, quantitative genetics, and phylogenetic comparative methods, my work aims to (1) disentangle the dynamic evolutionary mosaic reflected by trait covariance structure and (2) understand the interplay between evolutionary integration and ecomorphological diversification. I primarily examine variance-covariance patterns among oral and pharyngeal jaw structures in cichlids – an incredibly diverse group of freshwater fishes with major radiations endemic to Neotropical river systems and the East African Great Lakes. Working collaboratively with me, the AQUA division’s Cichlid Team, and their peers, students will conduct projects that help us to understand…
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- how trait covariance structure reflects ecological (e.g., trophic diversification) and evolutionary (e.g., hybridization) processes
- whether covariance structure is conserved across genetic, developmental, and phenotypic levels of biological organization
- how trait covariance structure influences the rate, extent, and trajectory of phenotypic diversification
