Patrik Nosil talks with
ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about
this month's Fast Breaking Paper Paper in the field of
Environment & Ecology.
Article Title: Divergent selection and heterogeneous
genomic divergence
Authors: Nosil, P;Funk, DJ;Ortiz-Barrientos,
D
Journal: MOL ECOL, Volume: 18, Issue: 3, Page: 375-402, Year:
FEB 2009
* Inst Adv Study, Wissensch Kolleg Berlin, Wallostr 19, D-14193
Berlin, Germany.
* Univ British Columbia, Dept Zool, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4,
Canada.
* Univ British Columbia, Biodivers Res Ctr, Vancouver, BC V6T
1Z4, Canada.
* Vanderbilt Univ, Dept Biol Sci, Nashville, TN 37235
USA.
* Univ Queensland, Sch Integrat Biol, St Lucia, Qld 4702,
Australia.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
This article is likely highly cited because it provides both a conceptual
and empirical review of a newly emerged field of study—"population
genomics."
Would you summarize the significance of your paper
in layman's terms?
The article synthesizes our knowledge concerning how natural selection
impacts the genome, and especially how natural selection creates
differences in levels of genetic divergence across the genome.
How did you become involved in this research, and
were there any problems along the way?
This review article emerged from empirical "population genomic" studies
conducted in two groups of insects. In both studies, my coauthors, Daniel
Funk and Scott Egan of Vanderbilt University, and I identified genomic
regions subject to natural selection. These empirical findings naturally
then led into a review of the overall literature on genomic divergence.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
Recent advances in molecular biology ("next-generation sequencing") and
computational approaches will allow the effects of natural selection on the
genome to be examined in more precise, as well as new and creative, ways.
Do you foresee any social or political
implications for your research?
Understanding how natural selection affects the genome might increase our
understanding of the origin and maintenance of genetic diversity.
Patrik Nosil, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Principal Investigator
Nosil Lab
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO, USA Web |
Web