Alan Brelsford

Gene flux drives functional changes in an ancient supergene in Formica lemani

The paper identifies genetic elements within a supergene that influence queen number and body size in Formica lemani by analyzing haplotype-phenotype associations and gene flux.

Lethal epistasis maintains strong linkage disequilibrium between unlinked supergenes

The paper shows epistasis between two unlinked supergenes in ants maintains linkage disequilibrium despite independent assortment.

Beyond queen number: two supergenes coordinate dispersal, mating, and colony founding in the ant Formica cinerea

The paper shows two supergenes in Formica cinerea coordinate dispersal morphology, mating, and colony founding into coherent reproductive strategies.

Coexisting Y haplotypes reveal cyclic sex chromosome differentiation around a shared sex-determining region

The paper investigates sex chromosome evolution in frogs by analyzing coexisting Y haplotypes, revealing cyclic differentiation dynamics rather than unidirectional degeneration.

Multiple origins of a sex ratio supergene in Formica ants

The paper identifies two independent origins of an MD haplotype in Formica ants, showing convergent evolution from recombination between ancestral supergene haplotypes.

Evidence for an ancient master sex determination gene in Hymenoptera

The paper investigates the role of the ANTSR gene in CSD across Hymenoptera, finding it conserved in Aculeata and suggesting multiple CSD loci in Formica.

Migration strategies of a high-latitude breeding songbird (Setophaga coronata coronata) revealed using multi-sensor geolocators and stable isotopes

The paper tracks myrtle warbler migration using geolocators and isotopes, finding most birds migrate to the southeastern U.S., not the Pacific Coast as previously hypothesized.

Variation in social organization and supergene control along a latitudinal gradient

The paper examines how environmental variation affects the distribution of phenotypic and genetic traits in the ant species Formica podzolica, revealing variation in supergene haplotype frequencies and phenotypic mismatches along a latitudinal gradient.

Introgression across narrow contact zones shapes the genomic landscape of phylogenetic variation in an African bird clade

The paper investigates how introgression through narrow contact zones affects gene-tree heterogeneity in an African bird clade, finding introgression shapes phylogenetic signals even in allopatric populations.

Unexpected absence of a multiple-queen supergene haplotype from supercolonial populations of Formica ants

The paper examines the role of a supergene haplotype in supercolonial Formica ants and finds it absent in supercolonial populations despite its association with polygyny.