Steven Kelly - Necessity is the mother of re-invention: linking parallel evolution of genes and genomes to the evolution of complex traits

Much of biology is associated with the evolution of convergent traits. For example the eyes of squids and squirrels have evolved independently by harnessing the same genes and developmental pathways. However convergent evolution also occurs at smaller scales and can be seen in thousands of examples of how organisms adapt their genes and genomes to respond to the shared challenges of survival. In this talk I will discuss how studying the parallel evolution of new genes has provided new insight into the evolution of C4 photosynthesis. I will then discuss how adaptation to changes in metabolism can drive the parallel evolution of genomes.