GEvol is unique as it will use, for the first time, a large taxonomic group to focus on one goal: to characterise the dynamics and mechanisms of genomic innovations underlying novel traits using comparative evolutionary genomics (and related data).
Thus, projects participating in GEvol we will ask fundamental evolutionary questions such as:
1. At what level is evolution repeatable?
2. How does genomic plasticity interfere with phenotypic plasticity during evolution?
3. How do inter- and intra-specific interactions influence genomic architectures?
4. How predictable is phenotypic variation given some knowledge about the dynamics and mechanisms of underlying genome evolution?

Address of the bookmark: https://g-evol.uni-muenster.de/open-positions/

To understand the evolution of the biodiversity seen on planet earth is one of the major goals in biology. How animals explored new habitats from only being confined to the marine environment and the how the forms diversified is still one of the most tremendous questions to be answered.

http://www.sars.no/research/HejnolGrp.php

https://fhs.mcmaster.ca/gupta-lab/index.html

https://clandonaldusa.org/index.php/tmrca-calculator

Address of the bookmark: https://clandonaldusa.org/index.php/tmrca-calculator

Once a query gene has been entered, it is displayed in its genomic context in parallel to the genomic context of all its orthologous and paralogous copies in all the other sequenced metazoan genomes. Moreover, Genomicus stores and displays the predicted ancestral genome structure in all the ancestral species within the phylogenetic range of interest.

All the data on extant species displayed in this browser are from Ensembl.

Summary statistics of Genomicus version 105.01: (view species tree in pdf or newick)

Address of the bookmark: https://www.genomicus.bio.ens.psl.eu/genomicus-105.01/cgi-bin/search.pl

Key Findings of the Study:

1. Alu Insertion and Tail Loss:
   The researchers discovered an Alu-mediated genetic change in a common ancestor of modern apes and humans. This change disrupted the normal function of a gene involved in tail development, leading to the suppression of tail formation.

2. Gene Disruption Mechanism:
   The Alu insertion was found within a regulatory region of the TBXT gene (also known as T or Brachyury), which is crucial for tail development in vertebrates. This insertion likely altered the gene's expression patterns, leading to tail reduction over evolutionary time.

3. Functional Evidence from Model Organisms:
   To test their hypothesis, the researchers introduced similar genetic modifications in mice. The modified mice exhibited shortened or absent tails, supporting the idea that the identified mutation played a role in tail loss in hominoids.

4. Evolutionary Implications:
   The findings suggest that small, random genomic changes—such as transposable element insertions—can have profound effects on body morphology. This study provides evidence that mobile DNA elements (like Alu) can drive major evolutionary transitions.

5. Relevance to Human Evolution:
   Understanding the genetic basis of tail loss helps in reconstructing the evolutionary history of hominins (the lineage that includes humans and our extinct relatives). It also sheds light on how genetic variations contribute to anatomical diversity among primates.

Significance of the Study:

This research highlights the role of transposable elements in shaping evolutionary traits and provides a concrete genetic explanation for a defining characteristic of humans and great apes. It also demonstrates how mutations in regulatory regions of developmental genes can lead to significant anatomical changes.

More at https://www.uibk.ac.at/limno/personnel/stelzer/index.html.en#research

More at http://www.cmdn.org.np/main/index.php