Nature Ecology and Evolution published our paper, “Experimental test and refutation of a classic case of molecular adaptation in Drosophila melanogaster.” Led by graduate student Mo Siddiq, the paper reports on the first experiments on transgenic animals carrying reconstructed ancestral genes. Mo used this approach to decisively test — and clearly refute — what has long been accepted as a textbook case of molecular adaptive evolution: the role of positive selection on the coding sequence of the alcohol dehydrogenase enzyme (ADH) in Drosophila melanogaster’s adaptation to high-ethanol environments.
The pdf of the paper is here.
The popular version of the story is here.
The project was a very fun collaboration with Dr. David Loehlin of the University of Wisconsin and Dr. Kristi Montooth of the University of Nebraska.
Mo Siddiq