EEB Tuesday Lunch Seminar - Hybrid: Recombination and the evolution of sex chromosomes in Rumex hastatulus

Our weekly lunch seminar series featuring internal speakers in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology.

Abstract
Sex chromosomes typically evolve through the gradual reduction of recombination between chromosome pairs that have acquired a sex-determining region. Many plants have "younger" sex chromosomes than amniotes, and therefore offer valuable insight into this process. Heartwing sorrel (Rumex hastatulus) has a polymorphic sex chromosome karyotype resulting from a chromosome fusion. This natural variation allows direct comparison of a sex chromosome and its autosomal homologue. We use a recent genome assembly and genetic map to explore how recombination evolved in this species and how that challenges standard models of sex chromosome evolution.

This seminar will be in-person and livestreaming on Zoom (link this page). Contact eebsemaccess@umich.edu for password at least two hours prior to the event.

Image credit: Spencer Barrett