Tempo & Mode

Katherine started her Honours project in July 2008, under the supervision of Lindell Bromham in the School of Botany and Zoology. since 2004 i have been a student at ANU studying a combined degree in arts/science- with a major in genetics for science and history for arts with a flirtation with latin. I have one more course to do before i complete my arts degree.

I shall be looking at the rate of molecular evolution in parasites. Parasites are locked in an evolutionary arms race with their hosts needing constant new developments to defeat the defenses of their host. Therefore for them a mutation’s potential cost (deleterious mutations) can be outweighed by the potential benefit (defeating the host). Without mutations they could quickly fall behind there host, they have to evolve constantly just to be able to keep their hold on that host. This theory is also known as the red queen hypothesis, as in Alice and wonderland the red queen makes the remake you have to keep running so fast to remain in the same place. Parasites are therefore living in a environment with a strong evolutionary benefit to a successful mutation. Hence it has been suggested that we should see a faster rate of molecular evolution in them.
I shall be examining this theory by looking at substitution rates across a wide selection of parasites in an attempt to see if this theory holds across all parasites.