Sleep is nearly ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom, yet little is known about how
ecological factors or perturbations to the environment shape the duration and timing of …

The small teleost fish Astyanax mexicanus has emerged as an outstanding model for
studying many biological topics in the context of evolution. A major attribute is conspecific …

Laboratory studies have demonstrated that a single phenotype can be produced by many
different genotypes; however, in natural systems, it is frequently found that phenotypic …

Understanding the molecular basis of repeatedly evolved phenotypes can yield key insights
into the evolutionary process. Quantifying gene flow between populations is especially …

Identifying the genetic factors that underlie complex traits is central to understanding the
mechanistic underpinnings of evolution. Cave-dwelling Astyanax mexicanus populations …

Caves and other subterranean habitats fulfill the requirements of experimental model
systems to address general questions in ecology and evolution. Yet, the harsh working …

Food shortages represent a common challenge for most animal species. As a consequence,
many have evolved metabolic strategies encompassing extreme starvation-resistance …

Hundreds of cell types form the vertebrate brain but it is largely unknown how similar cellular
repertoires are between or within species or how cell-type diversity evolves. To examine cell …

The duration of sleep varies dramatically between species, yet little is known about the
genetic basis or evolutionary factors driving this variation in behavior. The Mexican cavefish …

An extraordinary longevity has been observed in some cave species, and this raised the
hypothesis that a longer lifespan may be considered one of the characteristic traits of these …