Ecology and Evolution

We examine the role of genetic and non-genetic inheritance, the role of the environment as a phenotypic inducer through epigenetic regulation, and the possibility that such epigenetic changes may evolve under selection towards accommodated genetic variation. We delve into the natural history of species, populations, and communities to study interactions between species, identify functional polymorphisms in candidate genes to explain ecologically and evolutionarily divergent life history traits, and evaluate the genomic basis of fitness reductions in endangered species. We focus on diverse study systems such as vertebrates, particularly amphibians, bats, and birds; plants; pollinators; seed dispersers; and host-symbiont interactions.