Society of Systematic Biologists

Hi folks, We have five permanent academic positions available in my department at the National University of Ireland Maynooth. These are NOT tenure-track, they are permanent right from the start. Successful candidates will have their own laboratory space and will be expected to apply for grants and carry out research in addition to their teaching responsibilities. Applications from people with a background in evolution, genomics, bioinformatics are all encouraged and welcome. More details here: http://humanresources.nuim.ie/documents/JobSpec_Lecturer_Biology_SEBLB.pdf Please pass this email on to people you think might be interested. best, James. -- Prof. James McInerney, | Center for Communicable Disease Dynamics, Molecular Evolution & Bioinformatics Unit,| Harvard School of Public Health, Department of Biology, | 677 Huntington Avenue Boston, National University of Ireland Maynooth, | Massachusetts 02115 Co. Kildare, Ireland. | USA Lab site: http://bioinf.nuim.ie/james-mcinerney James McInerney

I am conducting a study of geographical variation in song characteristics and I am looking for volunteers to take a survey. Participants will rate the similarity of the songs of several species. If you are able to volunteer to take this survey, please e-mail me at nathanbwarbler[at]gmail.com, and I will send you an e-mail with the URL to the survey and more information. Thank you in advance, Nathan Burroughs Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology University of California, Los Angeles nathanbwarbler[at]gmail.com Nathan Burroughs

SISG Scholarship Application Deadline Extended to May 10. Some further registration-fee and travel scholarships are available for the 18th Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics in Seattle, July 8-26. Details at http://sisg.biostat.washington.edu Applications received by April 26 will be processed before May 10, others by May 17. New modules include Introduction to R and Scripting for Biologists, Omics Data and Network Analyses, Forensic Genetics, Mixed Models in Quantitative Genetics, Metagenomics, Epidemiology of Viruses. Previously popular modules include Bayesian Statistics for Genetics, Population and Quantitative Genetic Data Analysis, QTL and Association Mapping, Gene Expression, Coalescent and MCMC Theory, Human and Animal Genetic Data Analysis, Phylogenetics, Introductory Statistics, Introductory Genomics. Bruce Weir bsweir[at]uw.edu Bruce Weir

Dear Colleagues: Registration is open for the course "Disentangling evolutionary relationships with Phylogenetic Comparative Methods - Second edition"; October 7-11, 2013. INSTRUCTORS: Dr. Alejandro Gonzᬥz-Voyer (EBD, Spain) and Dr. Achaz von Hardenberg (Alpine Wildlife Research Centre, Italy) . SITE: Els Hostalets de Pierola, Barcelona, Spain. This course will provide an introduction to phylogenetic comparative methods (PCM) focusing on Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares (PGLS) and introducing Phylogenetic Path Analysis methods. PCMs provide a means of incorporating information about the evolutionary relationships of organisms (phylogeny) in statistical analyses. To enhance the practical approach of the course, participants are encouraged to bring their own data to conduct analyses and discuss the results. More information: http://www.transmittingscience.org/courses/evol/pcm/ This course will be held in the facilities of the Centre de Restauraci󠩍 Intepretacio Paleontologica (CRIP), and are co-organized by Transmitting Science, the CRIP and the Universidad Aut󮯭a de Madrid. Places are limited and will be covered by strict registration order. Please feel free to distribute this information between your colleagues if you consider it appropriate. With best regards Soledad De Esteban-Trivigno soledad.esteban[at]transmittingscience.org Transmitting Science Soledad De Esteban Trivigno

Dear EVOLDIR Readers, We are looking for biologists or friends of biologists who have had 13- or 17-year cicadas on their property. We would like protected sites where we can dig nymphs once per year. We are especially interested in people who have 13-year Brood XIX (emerged in 2011), 17-year Brood XIV (emerged in 2008), and 13-year Brood XXII (will emerge in Louisiana in 2014). But other broods are also useful. We are also looking for high schools and university campuses that have periodical cicadas. We would like to find collaborator-teachers who would like to participate in following nymphal growth annually. Please contact chris.simon[at]uconn.edu Thanks! And enjoy Brood II along the east coast of the US this spring! And if you see then, report your sightings to Magicicada.org! Chris Chris Simon Professor, Ecology & Evolutionary Biology 75 North Eagleville Road, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269-3043 chris.simon[at]uconn.edu Office (860) 486-4640; Lab (860) 486-3947; Fax (860) 486-6364, Office: Biopharm 305D, Lab: Biopharm 323,325 C. Simon Home page: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/projects/cicada/simon_lab/member_pages/c_simon.php Simon Lab Home: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/projects/cicada/simon_lab/lab_pages/current.php Reprints: http://hydrodictyon.eeb.uconn.edu/projects/cicada/resources/reprints.html Magicicada Brood II will appear along the east coast of the US in Spring 2013, watch Magicicada.org for information. chris.simon.uconn[at]gmail.com

A PhD position in the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions is available for up to 4 years in Prof. Jacob Koella's lab at the University of Neuchⴥl. The position would suit an enthusiastic, motivated, and independent graduate whose degree has a strong component in parasitology, evolution or ecology. The general area of research will be the evolutlonary ecology of parasites at several levels of organization, linking the host's ecological situation with the parasite's dynamics within its host and its epidemiology, and using one of the host-parasite systems used in the lab (malaria, microsporidians and mosquitoes). The details of the project (including the balance between theoretical and empirical work) will be adapted to suit your interests, and you will be given the time to, and be expected to, have considerable input in developing the project. The position requires some teaching of undergraduate and graduate biology labs, usually in French, and you will have the opportunity to supervise undergraduate and Masters projects. An MSc (or equivalent) in Biology is required. The position is available as of August 1, 2013, with starting date preferably by October 1, 2013. The starting salary is about 35000 Fr. Neuchⴥl is located in the French part of Switzerland and is an attractive city with a high quality of life. The city is located on the shore of Lake Neuchⴥl with the Jura Mountains to the North and a view of the Bernese Alps to the South. For outdoors enthusiasts, this is an excellent area for outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing or skiing. If you are interested in the position, please send a 1-2 page cover letter indicating research interests and background, your CV, and two letters of reference to jkoella[at]gmail.com before May 18, 2013. Jacob Koella Institut de Biologie Universit頤e Neuchⴥl rue Emile-Argand 11 2000 Neuchⴥl Switzerland jkoella[at]gmail.com

Background: To understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of species interactions in food webs necessitates that interactions are properly identified. Genetic analyses suggest that many supposedly generalist parasitoid species should rather be defined as multiple species with a more narrow diet, reducing the probability that such species may mediate indirect interactions such as apparent competition among hosts. Recent studies showed that the parasitoid Asecodes lucens mediate apparent competition between two hosts, Galerucella tenella and G. calmariensis, affecting both interaction strengths and evolutionary feedbacks. The same parasitoid was also recorded from other species in the genus Galerucella, suggesting that similar indirect effect may also occur for other species pairs. Methods: To explore the possibility of such interactions, we used mitochondrial and nuclear genetic markers to resolve the phylogeny of both host and parasitoid and to test the number of parasitoid species involved. We thus collected 139 Galerucella larvae from 8 host plant species and sequenced 31 adult beetle and 108 parasitoid individuals. Results: The analysis of the Galerucella data, that also included sequences from previous studies, verified the five species previously documented as reciprocally monophyletic, but the Bayesian species delimitation for A. lucens suggested 3--4 cryptic taxa with a more specialised host use than previously suggested. The gene data analyzed under the multispecies coalescent model allowed us to reconstruct the species tree phylogeny for both host and parasitoid and we found a fully congruent coevolutionary pattern suggesting that parasitoid speciation followed upon host speciation. Conclusion: Using multilocus sequence data in a Bayesian species delimitation analysis we propose that hymenoptera parasitoid of the genus Asecodes that infest Galerucella larvae constitute at least three species with narrow diet breath. The evolution of parasitoid Asecodes and host Galerucella show a fully congruent coevolutionary pattern. This finding strengthens the hypothesis that the parasitoid in host search uses cues of the host rather than more general cues of both host and plant.

RESEARCH POST IN ANIMAL BREEDING & GENETICS AT INIA, MADRID A research position is available at the Animal Breeding Department of INIA, Madrid (Spain) to work on the topic 'Estimation of the impact of selection and inbreeding on genetic diversity using genomic tools'. The project is funded by the Spanish Government and is a collaboration of INIA (Beatriz Villanueva y Jesús Fernández), the 'Universidad Politécnica de Madrid' (Miguel Angel Toro) and the 'Universidad de Vigo' (Armando Caballero). In this coordinated project we will evaluate from theoretical and computational developments and analysis of empirical data, the applicability of SNP markers in the estimation of allelic diversity, purging of deleterious variants, estimation of effective population size, and footprint of selection. Tasks for this post will involve computer simulations and analysis of dairy cattle SNP data. Candidates should have a strong background in quantitative genetics, population genetics or animal breeding and a university degree valid in Spain. Strong communication and computer skills are required. Postgraduate qualifications will be an advantage. The post is available for 2 years. The salary will be determined according to the Spanish public research salary scale. The deadline for applications is Friday 3rd May 2013. Unfortunately all the documentation and the application form (attached) are in Spanish. Beatriz Villanueva Gaviña Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal INIA (Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria) Carretera de La Coruña km 7,5 28040 Madrid, Spain Tel.: 34 91 347 6807 Fax: 34 91 347 8743 villanueva.beatriz[at]inia.es ****** Jesús Fernández Martín Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal 34-91 3471487 Instituto Nacional de Investigación y 34-91 3478743 (FAX) Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA) jmj[at]inia.es Crta. A Coruña Km. 7,5 28040 Madrid (SPAIN) http://dl.dropbox.com/u/5714008/Fernandez.htm Jesús Fernández Martín

Workshop on Next Generation Population Genomics for Nonmodel Taxa 23-24 July, 2013 Cornell University, Ithaca, NY Website http://www.certain.com/system/profile/web/index.cfm?PKwebID=0x4653687438&varPage=home If the above URL does not work, go to http://www.theaga.org/aga2013-species-continuum/, scroll down and click on the fishy genome scan figure. Application: 45 student capacity -- applications received before May 15 will receive priority consideration. Goal: to compare and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to genome sequencing and bioinformatics when studying population genomics in nonmodel species. Population genomics involves sampling, financial, and bioinformatics trade-offs, so proper experimental design requires understanding probability, sequencing technologies and evolutionary theory and how they relate to research trade-offs. We will illustrate the computational challenges and how they interact with choices at the population and genomic sampling stages. We will not give you all the answers, but in two days we hope to help you ask the right questions to improve study design. Travel grants are available, sponsored by the American Genetics Association. This workshop immediately follows the 2013 AGA speciation symposium (get more info at http://www.theaga.org/aga2013-species-continuum/). Workshop Instructors: Alex Buerkle, Department of Botany, University of Wyoming Nancy Chen, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University Andy Clark, Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics, Cornell University Pierre De Wit, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden Matthew Hare, Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University Target Audience: graduate students and postdocs Cost: $150 Prerequisites: Students are expected to have a working knowledge of population genetics. You must bring your own laptop and some software installations should be accomplished before you arrive. Practical exercises will be on your laptop and through remote access to servers. See the website for more information or contact Matthew Hare Associate Professor Department of Natural Resources Cornell University Ithaca, NY 14853 607-255-5685 http://www2.dnr.cornell.edu/HareLab/harelab.html mph75[at]cornell.edu evoldir[at]evol.biology.mcmaster.ca

Sex is universal among most groups of eukaryotes, yet a remarkable diversity of sex determining (SD) mechanisms exists. The evolution of separate sexes has been accompanied by the acquisition of sex chromosomes many times across fungi, plants, and animals. The mechanism of SD has important evolutionary and ecological implications, yet we know little about how and why these systems have evolved repeatedly. Traditionally, studies of SD and sex chromosomes have focused on a few model systems that represent the terminal phase of evolution, but reveal little about their origination or transitions among systems. Recent advances in molecular genomics have created exciting new possibilities to study the causes and consequences of different modes of SD in diverse non-model species that represent the full range of sex chromosome evolution. The proposed working group will capitalize upon these opportunities and facilitate interaction among disparate disciplines engaged in studies of SD. We will develop a series of testable hypotheses based on theoretical predictions regarding the evolution of SD and compile existing data to develop an integrative database containing information on SD across the Tree of Life, with relevant genetic, ecological and life-history parameters. This will enable us to perform a series of comparative analyses to identify factors influencing SD systems. The proposed activities will promote synergies among researchers working on diverse organisms in order to distinguish broad, convergent trends from species-specific idiosyncracies, and identify novel aspects that will become significant targets for future investigations into the evolutionary forces driving the diversity of SD systems.

Background: Cryptic genetic variation (CGV) is considered to facilitate phenotypic evolution by producing visiblevariations in response to changes in the internal and/or external environment. Several mechanismsenabling the accumulation and release of CGVs have been proposed. In this study, we focused on generegulatory networks (GRNs) as an important mechanism for producing CGVs, and examined howinteractions between GRNs and the environment influence the number of CGVs by using individualbasedsimulations. Results: Populations of GRNs were allowed to evolve under various stabilizing selections, and we then measuredthe number of genetic and phenotypic variations that had arisen. Our results showed that CGVswere not depleted irrespective of the strength of the stabilizing selection for each phenotype, whereasthe visible fraction of genetic variation in a population decreased with increasing strength of selection.On the other hand, increasing the number of different environments that individuals encounteredwithin their lifetime (i.e., entailing plastic responses to multiple environments) suppressed theaccumulation of CGVs, whereas the GRNs with more genes and interactions were favored in suchheterogeneous environments. Conclusions: Given the findings that the number of CGVs in a population was largely determined by the size (order)of GRNs, we propose that expansion of GRNs and adaptation to novel environments are mutuallyfacilitating and sustainable sources of evolvability and hence the origins of biological diversity andcomplexity.

Background: Obligate parthenogenesis is relatively rare in animals. Still, in some groups it is quite common and has evolved and persisted multiple times. These groups may provide important clues to help solve the ‘paradox of sex’. Several species in the Psychidae (Lepidoptera) have obligate parthenogenesis. Dahlica triquetrella is one of those species where multiple transitions to parthenogenesis are postulated based on intensive cytological and behavioural studies. This has led to the hypothesis that multiple transitions from sexuals to diploid parthenogens occurred during and after the last glacial period, followed by transitions from parthenogenetic diploids to parthenogenetic tetraploids. Our study is the first to test these hypotheses using a molecular phylogeny based on mtDNA from multiple sexual and parthenogenetic populations from a wide geographic range. Results: Parthenogenetic (and sexual) D. triquetrella are not monophyletic, and considerable sequence variation is present suggesting multiple transitions to parthenogenesis. However, we could not establish ancestral sexual haplotypes from our dataset. Our data suggest that some parthenogenetic clades have evolved, indicating origins of parthenogenesis before the last glacial period. Conclusions: Multiple transitions to parthenogenesis have taken place in Dahlica triquetrella, confirming previous hypotheses. The number of different parthenogenetic clades, haplotypes and their apparent evolutionary age, clearly show that parthenogenesis has been a very successful reproductive strategy in this species over a long period.

Things are finally coming together, at least enough to have a functioning demo. It looks awful, but shows the main things I want BioNames to do. One thing I'm most concerned about at this stage is the possible confusion users might experience between taxon names and concepts. For example, there are two pages about Pteropus, one about the name Pteropus, the other about the bat that bears this name (as understood by GBIF).

The demo is live at http://bionames.org/bionames-api/mockup_index.php (note that this is a temporary URL so I can't guarantee it will be online when you read this).

BioNames live mockup from Roderic Page on Vimeo.