Kathy Darragh

Chemosensory receptor copy number evolution is not associated with host-plant specialization in butterflies

This study examines the relationship between host-plant specialization and chemosensory receptor copy numbers in butterflies, finding no significant association.

Evolutionary contingency facilitates scent divergence in an emergent orchid population

The paper investigates the genetic basis of floral scent divergence in Gongora orchids, identifying candidate genes and pathways involved in the transition from monoterpene to phenylpropanoid emission.

The convergent evolution of hummingbird pollination results in repeated floral scent loss through gene downregulation

This study shows that hummingbird-pollinated Costus species lose floral scent through gene downregulation, not pseudogenization, highlighting strong selection pressures for scent loss.

The birth-and-death evolution of cytochrome P450 genes in bees

This study analyzes P450 gene evolution in ten bee species, finding that detoxification-related genes are in unstable clades under adaptive pressures, but no link between resin collection and P450 repertoire was found.