Walt Eanes is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution. He received his Bachelors degree form Cornell University, a Masters degree in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary and his Ph.D. from the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook. He is a member of the graduate program in Ecology and Evolution and the graduate program in Genetics at Stony Brook. He is a former member of the GENETICS and EVOLUTION Editorial Boards. His funding is from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health
Current Graduate Students
Nicole Lashbrook
My
research is focused on understanding the evolutionary processes that give rise
to sex differences. When Charles Darwin formulated his theory of sexual
selection in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, sex
differences were understood largely in terms of morphology, physiology and
behavior. We have since seen that sex differences are also readily apparent at
the molecular level, notably in terms of the differential segregation of sex
chromosomes and genome-wide sex-biased gene expression. Using the well-developed
study system of Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives, I study
functional genomic and genomic data on sex-biased genes in a phylogenetic
context to assess alternative models of evolution in relation to sex.
Stephen Sabatino
I
study the genetic architecture of adaptation in species of shad found between Northern Africa, Iceland and the Caspian Sea. Some of the
shad species I focus on spend their entire life in the sea while others are
isolated in freshwater lakes or are anadromous. Many of them also exhibit
remarkable genetic and phenotypic differences across several environmental
gradients that are associated with ecological factors such as temperature and
salinity. This biological system therefore allows me to test hypotheses
about the role metabolic genes, such as malic enzyme, play in ecological
adaptation and speciation, particularly in cases where parallel evolution across
similar environments has occurred. Currently, I am utilizing next
generation sequencing technologies to investigate the transcriptome of shads,
which will enable me to identify metabolic genes that may be under natural
selection.
Paola Espinosa
I
am interested in understanding population formation processes and
its contribution to diversity. I am using a population genetic approach,
focusing in two important aspects that affect individual dispersal and spatial
genetic structure: life history and ecological landscape. Amphibians are
particularly suitable for exploring this topic. Due to their limited
dispersal ability, they also provide a strong phylogenetic signal and a marked spatial
genetic structure. Additionally, dispersal in anurans is known to be greatly
influenced by life history traits. I use a comparative molecular approach with
two species of poison dart frogs, and utilize mitochondrial DNA and AFLPs to
identify evolutionary processes at different times in a chronological scale.
Furthermore, the area of study is within the Chocó region, identified as a
biodiversity hotspot by Conservation International. Foremost, the resulting
information on genetic diversity and structure is a priority to implement successful conservation
planning in a constantly changing environment and landscape.
Walt Eanes is a Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution. He received his Bachelors degree form Cornell University, a Masters degree in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary and his Ph.D. from the Department of Ecology and Evolution at Stony Brook. He is a member of the graduate program in Ecology and Evolution and the graduate program in Genetics at Stony Brook. He is a former member of the GENETICS and EVOLUTION Editorial Boards. His funding is from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health
My
research is focused on understanding the evolutionary processes that give rise
to sex differences. When Charles Darwin formulated his theory of sexual
selection in The Descent of Man, and Selection in Relation to Sex, sex
differences were understood largely in terms of morphology, physiology and
behavior. We have since seen that sex differences are also readily apparent at
the molecular level, notably in terms of the differential segregation of sex
chromosomes and genome-wide sex-biased gene expression. Using the well-developed
study system of Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives, I study
functional genomic and genomic data on sex-biased genes in a phylogenetic
context to assess alternative models of evolution in relation to sex. 
I
study the genetic architecture of adaptation in species of shad found between Northern Africa, Iceland and the Caspian Sea. Some of the
shad species I focus on spend their entire life in the sea while others are
isolated in freshwater lakes or are anadromous. Many of them also exhibit
remarkable genetic and phenotypic differences across several environmental
gradients that are associated with ecological factors such as temperature and
salinity. This biological system therefore allows me to test hypotheses
about the role metabolic genes, such as malic enzyme, play in ecological
adaptation and speciation, particularly in cases where parallel evolution across
similar environments has occurred. Currently, I am utilizing next
generation sequencing technologies to investigate the transcriptome of shads,
which will enable me to identify metabolic genes that may be under natural
selection.
