One of the core features of evolution is its uneven pace: whereas some traits and lineages appear relatively inert for millions of years, others diversify rapidly. What causes this disparity? To what extent are inferences about the pace of evolution influenced by the traits examined? Does stasis in one phenotypic dimension involve rapid evolution in another? I will address these questions by sharing discoveries made from the study of Caribbean anole lizards and Appalachian woodland salamanders.

Dr. Brennan studies the functional morphology of genitalia in vertebrates to understand their complex evolution. She is interested in coevolution because the mechanical interaction of genitalia suggests that male and female must fit together to make copulation possible, however, her work has highlighted the gaps in our understanding of female genitalia. She has worked with birds, dolphins, bats, sharks, skates and more recently alpacas and snakes, discovering amazing adaptations in all these groups.

The Hehnly Lab investigates how cellular and intracellular mechanisms establish the Left-Right Organizer (LRO) in vertebrates, a critical structure for body axis formation. Using zebrafish as a model, the lab explores how motile and non-motile cilia within the LRO generate fluid flow or potentially sense it, impacting asymmetric organ development. Open questions include how cells differentiate to form motile versus non-motile cilia and the roles these cilia play in development.

A plant’s roots serve as a major line of defense against environmental stress to protect the plant as a whole. Roots of diverse plant species have found ways to deal with stress by devising responses, often within individual cell types, to resist drought, mineral deficiencies, pathogens and other insults that impair plant growth. I will present my lab’s research that uses systems, and developmental biology approaches to interrogate the transcriptional networks that function in response to many of these environmental stresses in tomato and sorghum.