Most research carried on Scilla and
Charibdis Research is on population genetics. Genetics
aims to understand the transmission of information across generations of
alive beings. Population genetics deals with the relevance that this flow
of information has to groups of individuals, and viceversa. Population
genetics is intermingled with evolutionary theory, aimed to understand
the change of individuals trough generations.
One important insight of evolution is that variation among individuals brings change. You could say that variation is the motor of evolutionary change. If there is heritable difference in performance among individuals, the composition of a population will change along time. That is why canalization is crucial to population genetics. If canalization occurs, existing variation is prevented from expression. So individuals that carry different information are apparently the same. This phenomena forces to review the expectations on the outcome of evolution.
The study of canalization
brings together several disparate fields of research. One must be familiar
with molecular genetics, so to understand the mechanisms that contrive
the buffering. Variation occurs at the level of populations, so processes
known by population geneticists are involved, as drift or space compartamentalization.
Ultimately, the occurence of canalization changes evolutionary tempo, so
the long standing discussions about the tempo and mode of evolution, are
here present as well.
Geometry
and selection (Figures)
Here it is presented a model that uses
the formalism of geometry to rephrase the metaphor of evolutionary landscapes.
Potentially this work is the more important carried on, since here
new mathematics are provided for basic evolutionary theory. Time will tell
of its relevance.
Canalization,
robustness, and founder events (Figure)
In a review in revision by the Journal
of Evolutionary Biology, it is described the concepts of canalization,
genetic robustness and diversification via founder effect.
When complex
is not robust (Fig 1 & 2, Fig
3 & 4, Fig 5)
Analytical and simulated models of genetic
networks shows how important is to robustness the strenght of interaction
among genes that determine the expression of others. This manuscript is
to be submitted to the Journal of Theoretical Biology
Canalization
and the exploration of novel environments (Fig
1, Fig 2)
Here a model of genetic architecture that
allows canalization is developped. Its consequences to the exploration
of novel environments are explored. This article to be re-submitted to
Evolutionary Ecology Research.
In
the making
Here the description of the new ideas
that are being discussed in Scilla and Charibdis Research at this very
same moment, related to genetics.