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SUMMARY:The evolutionary dynamics of unusual reproductive systems. - Dr La
 ura Ross from the Department of Zoology\, University of Oxford .
DTSTART:20130516T133000Z
DTEND:20130516T143000Z
UID:TALK44881@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Caroline Newnham
DESCRIPTION:During sexual reproduction\, two unrelated individuals coopera
 te to achieve a common goal: pass on their genes to the next generation. T
 his cooperation is however not without conflict\, parents can fight over w
 ho raises the kids\, females can cheat and mate with other males. But at l
 east in most animals genes of the mother and father are equally represente
 d in the offspring. This is not always the case. In my research I study a 
 group of insects who’s reproduction is incredibly variable and where evo
 lutionary innovations appear to have reduced the importance of males in re
 production. For example in the citrus mealybug\, males are still needed to
  fertilize females\, but the female can eliminate his genes from her son. 
 In the cottony cushion scale\, evolution appears to have driven the male t
 o become a parasite living in the body of the female\, producing sperm and
  fertilizing her from within. My research aims to study how conflict betwe
 en the sexes\, both directly and indirectly (conflict between mothers and 
 fathers genes within an offspring) can have lead to the evolution of these
  strange reproductive behaviours and might help to explain the large diver
 sity of reproductive systems among animals. Finally I will show how macro-
 evolutionary processes can further affect the taxonomic distribution of al
 ternative reproductive systems. 
LOCATION:Part II Room\, Department of Genetics
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