Grant: Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Many species display multiple morphs, which exhibit complex differences in traits and behaviours. Morphs are often controlled by 'supergenes', which are comprised of multiple genes inherited together as a single unit. Supergenes are increasingly important in studies of adaptive evolution and speciation, but many questions remain about how they form and evolve. Males of the fish Poecilia parae, a close relative to the common guppy, occur as one of five morphs, which differ remarkably in size, colour and behaviour. Each of these morphs is encoded by one of five supergenes on the Y chromosome, offering a powerful model that I will use to study supergene formation and adaptive evolution. At the same time as they offer a unique insight into complex adaptation, the multiple male morphs in P. parae are a powerful tool for studying intra-sexual diversity. This is particularly timely given the growing awareness that sex and gender are often not strictly binary traits. Therefore, my results will offer important insights into an increasingly important mode of adaption, reveal the genetic basis of complex traits, and inform our understanding of sexual diversity. Canada has long held the goal of being a leader in the field of evolutionary ecology. My project fits perfectly with this goal, as supergenes have recently emerged as a critical area of research, as evidenced by a slew of high profile papers and reviews in top journals. By identifying the structure and gene content of each supergene, I will answer several longstanding questions including: (1) how do supergenes form? (2) how do related supergenes encode radically different morphs? and (3) how does adaptation continue once supergenes are formed? Canada is a world leader in recognizing gender and sexual diversity. In line with this, my project will allow me to develop a powerful model system for the holistic analysis of intra-sexual variation, offering new insights to the biological basis of diversity in sex expression.