Discovering how evolution shapes brain anatomy

The vertebrate brain is remarkably conserved in relation to development, regional

topology, and function. However, the shape and size of individual brain regions can

vary greatly, both within a species and across taxa. Despite this knowledge, we do not

know how genetic and developmental mechanisms lead to anatomical variation within

brain regions. Our lab uses the blind Mexican cavefish to understand how changes at

the genetic level lead to anatomical differences across surface fish and cavefish

populations of this species. Remarkably, cavefish populations with different genetic

backgrounds show the same changes in size and shape of various brain regions. The lab

is currently determining how genes under selection in the brain impact early

embryonic development that leads to convergent anatomical evolution.