Sara Elizabeth Lipshutz

How sex shapes transcriptome evolution in the songbird brain

The paper quantifies the evolutionary rate of sex-biased gene expression in songbird brains, finding faster evolution on the Z chromosome and increased rates in species with obligate cavity-nesting.

Not all sexual monomorphisms evolve equally: female and male ornamentation in Tyranni passerines

The paper examines female and male ornamentation in Tyranni passerines, finding that ornamentation patterns correlate with sociosexual selection pressures and mating systems.

Habitat specialization structures population divergence and demographic variation in Amazonian floodplain birds

This study links habitat specialization to genetic structure, divergence, and demographic variation in Amazonian floodplain birds using population genomic data.

Response to geographic variation in song is associated with differential gene expression in the blood of a songbird

The paper examines gene expression changes in song sparrows exposed to local vs. foreign songs, finding differential expression in genes related to song perception, anti-inflammatory responses, and energy metabolism.

Sex and breeding stage differences in neurogenomic profiles reflect hormone signaling in a socially polyandrous shorebird

The paper examines sex differences in gene expression in northern jacanas to understand how sex roles influence neurogenomic profiles, finding complex genetic and hormonal interactions rather than simple reversal of sex-biased gene expression.

Distinct networks of expressed genes are associated with neophobia in the hippocampus of male and female Eurasian tree sparrows (Passer montanus)

The paper identifies sex-specific gene expression modules in hippocampal subregions linked to neophobia in Eurasian tree sparrows.

Repeated behavioral evolution is associated with targeted convergence of gene expression in cavity-nesting songbirds

The paper investigates convergent evolution in cavity-nesting birds, finding behavioral similarities but limited gene expression convergence across species.

Sexually selected traits predict female-biased philopatry in a sex-role reversed shorebird

The paper investigates sex-biased dispersal in two polyandrous Jacana species, finding male-biased dispersal in Northern Jacanas and no bias in Wattled Jacanas, with sexually selected traits linked to philopatry in females.

Reproductive microbial diversity is associated with competitive phenotypes in socially polyandrous jacanas

This study examines cloacal microbial diversity in two Jacana species, finding associations between microbial alpha diversity and testosterone and weaponry in females of one species.