Emily L. Rivard

Evolutionary innovation through fusion of sequences from across the tree of life

The paper identifies 104 novel genes in arthropods formed by fusing horizontally transferred sequences with endogenous genes, showing they are expressed and under selection.

The dynamic evolution of panarthropod germ cell specification mechanisms

This paper reviews the evolution of germ cell specification in Panarthropoda by analyzing historical data and proposing new hypotheses about its developmental trajectory.

Protein sequence evolution underlies interspecies incompatibility of a cell fate determinant

This study identifies the OSK domain of D. virilis Oskar as the cause of interspecies incompatibility with D. melanogaster Oskar, linking protein sequence evolution to functional divergence.

The LOTUS domain of Oskar promotes localisation of both protein and mRNA components of Drosophila germ plasm

The paper tests Oskar variants in vivo to assess their role in germ plasm assembly, finding that the LOTUS domain is critical for mRNA recruitment despite the current model attributing this function to the OSK domain.

A putative de novo evolved gene required for spermatid chromatin condensation in Drosophila melanogaster

This study identifies a de novo gene, atlas, essential for male fertility in Drosophila by facilitating chromatin condensation in spermatids, and reveals its complex evolutionary history.