Conservation & Evolutionary Genetics Group
P.I.:
- Carles Vilà
- Jennifer Leonard
Research interests
We use molecular tools to study the evolution of diversity, and assist in its conservation. Our research focuses on the processes that have led to the origin of the diversity of southeast Asian small mammals and south American frogs. We also investigate the role of chromosomal inversions in the diversification and local adaptation in a bird species, the common quail and study the genetic structure of wild populations and changes in the genetic diversity through time. Finally, we also investigate the process of domestication of mammals.
Research organisms
- Neotropical and Iberian frogs
- Small mammals from southeast Asia
- Wolves and dogs
- Eurasian quails
Bioinformatic, analytic, experimental skills
- Phylogenetic comparative methods.
- Biogeography using panels of nuclear and mitochondrial markers.
- Landscape genetics. Noninvasive monitoring of wild populations.
- Assessing hybridization and introgression.
- Reduced representation
- Whole genome sequencing.
Recent Publications
Massive genome inversion drives coexistence of divergent morphs in common quails
Our results show that one very large chromosomal inversion is affecting the genome of common quails in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula, Macaronesia and Northern Africa, and that this is associated with differences in pigmentation, size and wing shape. It is also leading differences in migratory behaviour.
10.1016/j.cub.2021.11.019
Lab website: http://www.consevol.org/
Google scholar:
- https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=V6GwjofQ3PUC&hl=en
- https://scholar.google.es/citations?user=GHHLg2oAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4206-5246
E-mail:
