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Professor
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| Research / Teaching | People & Projects | Publications | CV |
| Many views of Biological Asymmetry |
| Computer Programs | Data files | Links |
| New CSZ Section: Comparative Morphology & Development |
"The shadow of the bamboo sweeps the stair all night long,
yet not a mote of dust is stirred.
The moonbeams penetrate to the bottom of the pool,
yet in the water not a trace is left."
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Evolution by natural selection requires three steps. New phenotypic variation 1) must arise, 2) must have an impact on fitness (survival or fecundity), and 3) must (ultimately) be heritable. The first step - how new variation arises - remains controversial. Traditionally, new phenotypes are ascribed to novel genotypes (mutants or recombinants). But developmental plasticity - the same genotype yields different forms in different environments - may be a much more important source of new phenotypes than generally recognized. This has renewed interest in its evolutionary significance.
Our work has yielded valuable insights into the causes and adaptive significance of several striking examples of developmental plasticity and has advanced some of the strongest evidence to date for a 'phenotype-precedes-genotype' mode of evolution. We continue to explore the interplay between developmental plasticity and evolution on both ecological time scales (via descriptive and experimental studies) and evolutionary time scales (via comparative studies). |
Ongoing research includes:
Most of our research is done at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, a magnificent field station on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Our research is funded by:
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Survey of Invertebrates (extensive WWW content) |
Marine Science |
Systematics & Evolution Forum |
Animal Structure & Function (in the Bamfield Fall Program) |
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have come before (since Jan. 1, 1997)