The Meyer lab uses variation in genomes to learn about the evolutionary history of humans and other living things, as well as how they adapt to their environments. In particular, we look at how similar patterns of genetic variation in different lineages that have evolved the same traits can provide clues as to which genes are important for these traits. We use methods from both population genetics, which focuses on evolution within species (e.g., within humans), and phylogenetics and comparative genomics, which look at evolution across broader evolutionary timescales (e.g., throughout mammals). In this work, we apply and adapt a range of bioinformatics tools to analyze data from many genomes.
One set of traits that we are currently investigating relates to mammalian diets. Diet varies widely throughout the mammalian family tree, and several dietary specializations have evolved repeatedly both within closely related groups and between distantly related species. This combination of trait variation and repeated, or convergent, evolution, means that dietary traits represent great case studies for exploring how natural selection acts on genes involved in dietary specialization across multiple timescales. These studies may also provide insights into susceptibility to metabolic disease and other challenges to modern human society. We are currently investigating patterns of gene and regulatory evolution associated with transitions to herbivory, a specialized phenotype that has evolved many times across a diverse set of mammals.