Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the rate of evolution: stories of dogs and frogs. Carles Vila Estación Biológica de Doñana CSIC.

Título: Intrinsic and extrinsic factors affecting the rate of evolution: stories of dogs and frogs

Ponente: Carles Vila, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC.

Resumen:

The origin of biodiversity has always fascinated naturalists. Since Darwin, we tend to see natural selection as responsible for this diversity. However, selection needs molecular diversity upon which to act. What is the origin of this molecular diversity? Using dogs as a model system we investigated some of the mechanisms that have been suggested to produce different rates of morphological change in dogs and wolves. These differences may have arisen, in part,  as a result of the demographic changes and relaxation of selective forces suffered by the domestic species. We can expect these processes to equally affect natural systems. By analyzing the diversity of a family of Neotropical frogs we investigated environmental factors that may be associated with changes in the rate of molecular evolution. We also studied whether these extrinsic factors may be associated with the rate of diversification in this family. These two model systems offer unique perspectives to better understand some of the mechanisms contributing raw genetic diversity for selection to act upon.