Welcome to the Hall lab at the University of Georgia!
Primary areas of research.
Mathematical models of evolution.
A wide variety of questions are addressed utilizing mathematical modeling. A well constructed model captures the essentials of the biology of interest while maintaining enough simplicity to allow solutions from which biological predictions/insights can be obtained.
Current research is focusing primarily on two main areas: the evolution of chromosome number and the evolution of pleiotropy. Previous research has included the evolution of mating preferences, life cycle evolution and the evolution of driving sex chromosomes (see publications).
Experimental evolution (in the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae).
As with mathematical modeling, experimental evolution allows us to examine a variety of evolutionary questions in a system where we can control many variables. A well-constructed experiment captures the essentials of a system of interest in the simplest experiment possible. The real art to experimental evolution is designing experiments that are simple, but still more than “wet simulation”.
Current research focuses on life-cycle and environmental trade-offs in adaptation and chromosome evolution. Previous experimental research has primarily focused on elucidating the parameters of spontaneous mutations affecting fitness in yeast.
Signal evolution in Lampyrids (fireflies):
With Kathrin Stanger-Hall . Kathrin’s research has clarified the phylogeneitc relationships among North American Fireflies, as well as other relationships within the fireflies and related beetles. The primary reason for elucidating these relationships is to examine the evolution of light signaling in this group. As part of that project, we have begun sequencing genes involves in light signaling from throughout the group. We will examine how light signal evolution relates to molecular evolution in these genes.