A. Dornburg

Reproductive innovation enabled radiation in the deep sea during an ecological crisis

This study shows how sexual parasitism and immune gene degeneration in anglerfishes enabled their evolutionary radiation into deep-sea pelagic habitats during a global warming event.

Purifying selection and adaptive evolution proximate to the zoonosis of SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2

This study analyzes selection pressures in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 genomes near zoonosis, finding strong purifying selection and limited positive selection, except for NSP12 and ORF7a.

Ancient Fish Lineages Illuminate Toll-Like Receptor Diversification in Early Vertebrate Evolution

This study investigates the diversification of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) across vertebrate evolution using genomic and transcriptomic data, revealing new TLR clades and gene loss patterns linked to adaptive immune system development.

Molecular early burst associated with the diversification of birds at the K-Pg boundary

The paper identifies a molecular early burst in avian evolution around the K-Pg boundary, linked to shifts in substitution rates and allometric scaling relationships.

Decoupled spectral tuning and eye size diversification patterns in an Antarctic adaptive radiation

The paper examines the relationship between depth niche, eye size, and light detection in Antarctic notothenioids, finding decoupling between opsin tuning site changes and eye size diversification.

A highly diverse set of novel immunoglobulin-like transcript (NILT) genes in zebrafish indicates a wide range of functions with complex relationships to mammalian receptors

The paper identifies a highly diverse set of NILT genes in zebrafish, revealing complex relationships to mammalian receptors and suggesting multiple roles in host immunity.

Periodic Environmental Disturbance Drives Repeated Ecomorphological Diversification in an Adaptive Radiation of Antarctic Fishes

The paper examines diversification patterns in Antarctic fishes under periodic environmental disturbance, finding repeated trait space diversification and niche complementarity.

Considering decoupled phenotypic diversification between ontogenetic phases in macroevolution: An example using Triggerfishes (Balistidae)

The paper examines ontogenetic variation in locomotor morphology of triggerfishes, revealing decoupled diversification dynamics between adult and juvenile stages.

Prolonged morphological expansion of spiny-rayed fishes following the end-Cretaceous

This study investigates the morphological expansion of spiny-rayed fishes after the K-Pg extinction, finding a prolonged diversification driven by body elongation and lineage radiation throughout the Cenozoic.

Holosteans contextualize the role of the teleost genome duplication in promoting the rise of evolutionary novelties in the ray-finned fish innate immune system

This study investigates the innate immune receptor diversity in Holostei, showing that their gene families predate the teleost genome duplication and rival teleost diversity, challenging assumptions about the TGD's role in immune innovation.

Reevaluating claims of ecological speciation in Halichoeres bivittatus

The paper reevaluates claims of ecological speciation in Halichoeres bivittatus by analyzing habitat assortment and finding no evidence of haplotype frequency differences between habitats.

What makes Hemidactylus invasions successful? A case study on the island of Curacao.

This study investigates the factors contributing to the success of Hemidactylus mabouia invasions on Curaçao by analyzing diet, morphology, and competition with native geckos.

Infestation dynamics between parasitic Antarctic fish leeches (Piscicolidae) and their crocodile icefish hosts (Channichthyidae)

This study examines leech infestation patterns in Antarctic fish hosts, revealing attachment site fidelity and suggesting trophic transmission as key factors in parasitization.

Evolutionary analyses guide selection of model systems to investigate proto-oncogene function in ALK and LTK

This paper identifies model organisms for studying ALK and LTK proto-oncogenes by analyzing their evolutionary history and ligand homology across species.

Historical contingency shapes adaptive radiation in Antarctic fishes

This study shows that historical contingency, not adaptive evolution, drove key skeletal modifications in Antarctic notothenioid fishes before polar conditions arose.