Genomic basis of evolutionary radiation in Lake Malawi cichlids

Patil, Chinar

Title:

Genomic basis of evolutionary radiation in Lake Malawi cichlids

dc.contributor.advisor	Streelman, J. Todd
dc.contributor.author	Patil, Chinar
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Goodisman, Michael
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Yi, Soojin
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Vannberg, Fredrik
dc.contributor.committeeMember	Roberts, Reade
dc.contributor.department	Biology
dc.date.accessioned	2019-01-16T17:24:15Z
dc.date.available	2019-01-16T17:24:15Z
dc.date.created	2018-12
dc.date.issued	2018-11-09
dc.date.submitted	December 2018
dc.date.updated	2019-01-16T17:24:15Z
dc.description.abstract	Understanding the genomic basis and origin of phenotypic variation is one of the fundamental questions of biology. Evolutionary radiations characterized by a range of natural phenotypic variants between genetically closely related species are a great model to study the origin and genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic diversity. I use one such model, cichlids from Lake Malawi to understand the basis of complex behavior evolution. Lake Malawi cichlids are broadly divided into rock dwelling and sand dwelling lineages based on the habitat they colonize in the lake. Within this split on the basis of habitat comes a wide range of behavioral differences that define rock dweller and sand dweller cichlids. Within the sand dweller lineage, males build species specific bowers to attract females in seasonal leks. Whole genomes from 28 different cichlid species from Lake Malawi were used to show that: (a) Most of the variation segregating rock dwelling cichlids from sand dwelling cichlids is in functional regions in the genome, associated with genes and pathways related to early brain development and adult behavior and (b) Bower building behavior has repeatedly evolved via with polygenic selection on ancient and new genetic variants associated with genes and pathways involved in neural activity.
dc.description.degree	Ph.D.
dc.format.mimetype	application/pdf
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/1853/60782
dc.language.iso	en_US
dc.publisher	Georgia Institute of Technology
dc.subject	Evolution
dc.subject	Genomics
dc.subject	Malawi cichlids
dc.subject	Evolutionary radiation
dc.title	Genomic basis of evolutionary radiation in Lake Malawi cichlids
dc.type	Text
dc.type.genre	Dissertation
dspace.entity.type	Publication
local.contributor.advisor	Streelman, J. Todd
local.contributor.corporatename	College of Sciences
local.contributor.corporatename	School of Biological Sciences
relation.isAdvisorOfPublication	65166986-12ce-4676-8264-b5d82ec13ae5
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication	85042be6-2d68-4e07-b384-e1f908fae48a
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication	c8b3bd08-9989-40d3-afe3-e0ad8d5c72b5
thesis.degree.level	Doctoral