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SUMMARY:Conservation\, Evolution and Biodiversity in Colombia - Professor 
 Chris Jiggins\, Department of Zoology
DTSTART:20190301T174500Z
DTEND:20190301T191000Z
UID:TALK114598@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Antonio M. M. Rodrigues
DESCRIPTION:A major undertaking in evolutionary biology is to link changes
  in genes to changes in appearance and understand the evolutionary changes
  that lead to adaptation and speciation. Here I will give an overview of o
 ur work on the brightly coloured Heliconius butterflies. Among these butte
 rflies\, a great diversity of wing patterns are controlled by just a few g
 enes of major effect\, each with a diversity of regulatory alleles. Change
 s in colour pattern contribute to speciation\, but need to be associated w
 ith corresponding mate preferences to generate assortative mating. The gen
 etic basis for these mate preferences has a similar genetic basis to wing 
 pattern\, with just three major loci controlling mate preference between H
 . melpomene and H. cydno\, and some evidence for a similar functional modu
 larity as seen in wing pattern. Finally hybridisation can play an importan
 t role in shuffling these genetic variants into new combinations\, rapidly
  generating new diversity. In summary\, evolutionary changes in animal for
 m commonly involve changes in the regulatory switches that control gene ex
 pression\, and just a handful of loci of large effect can control diversit
 y across a radiation. I will also discuss our recent fieldwork in Colombia
  and the implications of the peace process for conservation in Colombia.
LOCATION:Wolfson College\, Gatsby Room
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