CAnMove

My main interests are genetic architecture and evolutionary dynamics of wild populations. In nature, there are many genetic and environmental factors that affect the expression of traits and I try to disentangle these factors using quantitative genetics. In a wild population of great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus, which have been monitored since 1983 and has an extensive pedigree, I have estimated heritability, selection and genetic correlations of morphological and fitness related traits. Wing length has turned out to be a very interesting character, being both related to fitness, showing antagonistic selection patterns in the sexes and being involved in migratory patterns. To investigate this further we are currently running a 'geolocator' study to track birds individually during migration. I am also interested in the genetics underlying wing length and I have located a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for this trait in our great reed warbler population.