Genome Study Reveals 30 Years Of Darwin’s Finch Evolution
A landmark study on contemporary evolutionary change in natural populations released by an international team of researchers led by Texas A&M University professor Dr. Leif Andersson reveals that 45% of the variation in the highly heritable beak size of Darwin’s finches can be attributed to only six genomic loci (fixed positions on a chromosome). Among […]
Researchers Discover Genetic Key To The Rapid Evolution Of Darwin’s Finches
An international team of researchers, including Drs. Leif Andersson and Brian Davis from the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), has made a new discovery that advances scientists’ understanding of the evolution of Darwin’s finches. In a study published today in Science Advances, the researchers identify 28 gene regions that have […]
Texas A&M Researcher Discovers Why Darwin’s Finches Have Different Beak Colors
Dr. Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) and Uppsala University, and researchers from Uppsala and Princeton universities have uncovered the genetic basis for the yellow beak color of some Darwin’s finch nestlings. Several species of Darwin’s finch nestlings have a beak color that is either […]
CVMBS Genomic Research Supports Sustainable Harvesting Of Atlantic Herring
An international team of researchers including Dr. Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), and Minal Jamsandekar, a Ph.D. student in the CVMBS Biomedical Sciences program, have used whole genome sequencing to document 53 herring populations from the Atlantic Ocean and the Baltic Sea. These data […]
Study On Rabbit Brain Reveals Genetic Markers Of Domestication
An international team of researchers led by Dr. Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), has found changes in gene expression patterns across the brain between wild and domestic rabbits, which likely contributed to the evolution of tameness during domestication. By demonstrating that domestic animals acquired […]
Texas A&M Researcher Sheds Light On Genetic Mechanisms Of Sex Determination
An international team of researchers led by Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS), has been able to reconstruct the origins of the male sex chromosome in the Atlantic herring, determining that the male-specific region of this genetic storehouse contains only three genes: a sex-determining factor […]
A Wonder-Full Life: Dr. Leif Andersson
As a pioneer of domestic animal genetics, Dr. Leif Andersson is driven by a fascination in the things he can’t explain. The world of genetics might at first seem to be far removed from our daily lives, conjuring images of glass test tubes and sterile gloves contained within a laboratory. However, Dr. Leif Andersson, a […]
CVM Researcher Finds Chickens, Pigeons Share Mutation For Feathered Feet
A team of researchers including Dr. Leif Andersson, a professor at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM), has found that parallel evolution between domesticated chickens and pigeons has resulted in regulatory mutations in the same genes that govern foot feathering in both species. Poultry geneticists have long studied the inheritance […]
Texas A&M, Uppsala Study Uncovers How Herring Adapted To Baltic Sea Light Environment
The evolutionary process that occurs when a species colonizes a new environment provides an opportunity to explore the mechanisms underlying genetic adaptation, which is essential knowledge for understanding evolution and the maintenance of biodiversity. An international team of scientists led by researchers from Texas A&M University and Uppsala University reports that a single amino acid […]
Researchers Observe Striking Differences Between Brains of Wild, Domesticated Rabbits
The most characteristic feature of domestic animals is their tame behavior. Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the team—led by Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (CVM) professor Leif Andersson—has found that domesticated rabbits’ amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, those regions of the brain involved in fear processing, have been particularly effected. […]
