New preprint on the effect of ancient admixture / structure on genealogical trees. I introduce a new way of summarising reconstructed genealogies that captures a clear signal of ancient gene flow into the ancestors of modern humans. Feedback welcome!

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology@biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 3w ago

The distribution of integer partitions in human genome-wide genealogies reflects gene flow from a super-archaic lineage https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.14.738421v1

Our new paper doi.org/10.1098/rspb... on long-term genetic threats to small populations finds that "mutational meltdown" (bad mutations fixing) is less of a problem than "mutational drought" (too few good new mutations) @wmawass.bsky.social @uliseshmc.bsky.social @jeremyjberg.bsky.social 1/5

Extinction vortices are driven more by a shortage of beneficial mutations than by deleterious mutation accumulation

Abstract. Habitat loss contributes to extinction risk in multiple ways. Genetically, small populations can face an ‘extinction vortex’—a positive feedback

doi.org

In a recent @natecoevo.nature.com​ News & Views article, ISTA postdoc @filipruzicka.bsky.social​ comments on the findings of Xia and colleagues, which show opposing fitness effects of mutations in fruit flies. “Reverse genetics of sexual antagonism”. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-026-03036-y

"Sexually antagonistic selection: a review of the theory and its implications" doi.org/10.32942/X28M22

The causes of signed linkage disequilibrium within genomic datasets https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.04.17.719204v1

Additive genetic variance for fitness maintained by balancing selection url: academic.oup.com/evolut/artic...

Additive genetic variance for fitness maintained by balancing selection

Abstract. Levels of additive genetic variation for fitness (${{V}_A}( w )$) and its components (e.g., viability, fertility) appear to be high in nature, su

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A new preprint with Beatriz Vicoso, where we highlight that a common observation in molecular evolution—X chromosomes adapting faster than autosomes—doesn't quite add up. So we tested a new theory (www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1...) in fruit flies, mice and humans...

bioRxiv Evolutionary Biology@biorxiv-evobio.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Is faster-X adaptation due to large-effect mutations? An empirical test of a new theory https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.02.06.704462v1

@EvolOdonata Aspects of the Delph and Kelly paper sat on my desks for three years until I got John on board to coauthor it with me. And then my student Jay Goldberg and I realized that there was a natural experiment we could investigate (https://doi.org/10.1002/evl3.157). Nice review—maybe it […]

New paper published together with John Welch on hybrid fitness and how it depends on ploidy and # of distinct ancestries, incl some remarkable fits of data & theory 😶. Keen to hear any thoughts/comments/questions! doi.org/10.1093/gene... Thanks to the team @ Genetics for the smooth experience :)

Predicting Hybrid Fitness: The Effects of Ploidy and Complex Ancestry

Abstract. Hybridization between divergent populations places alleles in novel genomic contexts. This can inject adaptive variation – which is useful for br

doi.org

Modestly, we decided to review a century's worth of theories of balancing selection :) onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

A century of theories of balancing selection

Traits that affect organismal fitness are often highly genetically variable. This genetic variation is vital for populations to adapt to their environments, but it is also surprising given that natur...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com