Morphological and behavioral diversification among Drosophila species

To understand how species diversify, my work finds its roots in classical natural sciences and extends to the molecular mechanisms producing diversity. First, through taxonomic work with beetles and flies, I survey patterns of trait diversification. Second, my research group revisits the origin of the diversity described by naturalists, leaning on genetics, genomics, quantitative biology and mathematical modelling. Using divergent species of Drosophila, we examine how transcriptional enhancers emerge, and diversify to tune pigmentation patterns on fly wings over evolutionary time. In parallel, we dissect how innate reproductive behaviors change among species, to understand genetic and neuronal changes that govern nervous system evolution. Together, the research program of my lab integrates classical and modern approaches to embrace a broader view on evolution.

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