Genetic basis of lethal mutations and how they persist in nature

When many people think about evolution, they think about how populations adapt to their environments as a result of selection on beneficial mutations. I'm interested in how BAD mutations, specifically lethal mutations, are maintained in populations despite strong selective forces acting to remove them. In all species studied, it's estimated that every individual carries at least one recessive lethal mutation and some specific lethal mutations are found at surprisingly high frequencies in populations. Even though the ubiquity of such extreme deleterious mutations has puzzled evolutionary geneticists for nearly a century, the genetic basis of lethality in nature and evolutionary forces behind it remain unresolved. I’ll discuss a large-scale mapping and sequencing project that uncovers the genetic basis of lethality in wild-caught D. melanogaster and provides insight on the possible evolutionary forces allowing some to persist at higher frequencies. 

11:50 am- Snacks & Socializing
noon- Talk Begins