Four areas of theoretical population genetics will be studied. In the first, we will develop robust estimators for the time to the most recent common ancestor in a sample of DNA sequences. The objective is to find an estimator that works well when the sampled population has any demographic structure or history. After application to Y-chromosomal or mitochondrial DNA, modifications to allow for recombination will be introduced and the estimator tested on autosomal and X-linked sequences. The method is designed to apply to most of the commonly studied DNA variants. The second project studies the relationship between protein-protein interactions and the rate of evolution in yeast using published databases. We will investigate whether the interaction between proteins has a direct effect on evolutionary rate or if it is mediated by the relationship between fitness and evolutionary rate. In Project 3, we investigate two new models of genomic imprinting. The first is an X-Iinked version of our previous exact population genetic treatment. The second develops a three-variable quantitative inheritance structure with one variable as the level of activation of growth factor by a parent. The final project is devoted to three versions of the evolution of complexity. The first studies the fate of alleles at a gene that controls the level of epistatic interaction between other genes. The second extends our theoretical work on niche construction to models for the genetic effects on non-human species caused by human behaviors, such as use of antibiotics, that are culturally transmitted.
The third aims to study the dynamics of linkage disequilibrium between genes that affect different culturally transmitted traits, with an application to sexual selection.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01GM028016-25
Application #
6900300
Study Section
Genetics Study Section (GEN)
Program Officer
Eckstrand, Irene A
Project Start
1980-07-01
Project End
2007-06-30
Budget Start
2005-07-01
Budget End
2007-06-30
Support Year
25
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$228,194
Indirect Cost
Name
Stanford University
Department
Biology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
009214214
City
Stanford
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
94305
Pinho, Ricardo; Garcia, Victor; Feldman, Marcus W (2014) Phenotype accessibility and noise in random threshold gene regulatory networks. PLoS One 10:e0119972
Domschke, Pia; Trucu, Dumitru; Gerisch, Alf et al. (2014) Mathematical modelling of cancer invasion: implications of cell adhesion variability for tumour infiltrative growth patterns. J Theor Biol 361:41-60
Aoki, Kenichi; Feldman, Marcus W (2014) Evolution of learning strategies in temporally and spatially variable environments: a review of theory. Theor Popul Biol 91:3-19
Greenspoon, Philip B; M'Gonigle, Leithen K (2014) Host-parasite interactions and the evolution of nonrandom mating. Evolution 68:3570-80
Greenspoon, Philip B; M'Gonigle, Leithen K (2013) The evolution of mutation rate in an antagonistic coevolutionary model with maternal transmission of parasites. Proc Biol Sci 280:20130647
Palmer, Michael E; Moudgil, Arnav; Feldman, Marcus W (2013) Long-term evolution is surprisingly predictable in lattice proteins. J R Soc Interface 10:20130026
Greenspoon, Philip B; M'Gonigle, Leithen K (2013) Can positive frequency dependence facilitate plant coexistence? Trends Ecol Evol 28:317-8
Song, Z; Feldman, M W (2013) The coevolution of long-term pair bonds and cooperation. J Evol Biol 26:963-70
Palmer, M E; Lipsitch, M; Moxon, E R et al. (2013) Broad conditions favor the evolution of phase-variable loci. MBio 4:e00430-12
Creanza, Nicole; Fogarty, Laurel; Feldman, Marcus W (2012) Models of cultural niche construction with selection and assortative mating. PLoS One 7:e42744

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