I am a PhD student working with the PanAf Consortium. I am based at @UGI_at_UCL supervised by @AidaAndres (UCL) and Jinliang Wang (@ZSLScience) and funded by @London_NERC_DTP. Here I present the progress of my project “Local genetic adaptation in chimpanzees” #pgg55 #pggflash

I’m really proud to share that our paper on the diversity of social complexity in termites has been published!!!

Our new study: Sexually-selected traits tend to be more condition-dependent. *But* is this relationship causal? We manipulated sexual selection to test how condition-dependence evolves in flies OpenAccess https://t.co/cCo1uK1IQF @EleanorBath1 @WayneRostant @H_Ostridge @judithmank

Our paper on genetic adaptation to SIV across chimpanzee populations is now published in @PLOSGenetics! Wonderful work by Harvinder Pawar, who did a fantastic Masters’ project, @H_Ostridge and @josh_schmidt1. https://t.co/COhOT6rSNf. Harvi's nice thread (she's not on Twitter):

Three talks from the group at #ESEB2022! Today, Harrison Ostridge @H_Ostridge presents on fine-scale local adaptation in wild chimpanzees across habitats, at 16:00 in S11. On Friday, Jamin Rees @rees_jas shows evidence of genetic adaptation to diet in humans, at 12:15 in S24.

Fantastic @royalsociety & @theNASEM event on "Bringing Nature into Decision Making" this Thursday & Friday (16-17 June). Speakers from @TNFD_ @IPBES @IUCN @wef @WorldBank @theGEF @ClientEarth & many others. Full agenda + livestream: https://t.co/FtwkyLytpk #valuingbiodiversity

After 6 very long years, I am very pleased to share with the community our paper entitled: “Population dynamics and genetic connectivity in recent chimpanzee history”. Last chapter of my PhD thesis is out (1/13) #noninvasive #chimpanzee #genomics #popgen https://t.co/X6xoEB3tpq

We are hiring THREE postdocs to work on balancing selection and sexual antagonism, with @MaxReuterEvo at University College London. An exciting opportunity to investigate balancing and directional selection in genomes, both in the lab and in natural populations. Please RT.

Check out the latest #HeredityPodcast to hear a little about my PhD project investigating local adaptation in chimpanzees!

Next, we will test for genotype-environment associations using a wealth of associated environmental data to increase our power to detect selection to environmental variables. Learn more in my talk (T20) at ~13:45 today! https://t.co/6pWmu8yc4Z

SNPs with patterns consistent with local adaptation were enriched for virus response functions. Previous studies have identified ancient adaptation to viruses, here we find evidence that viruses remain an important selection pressure in recent chimp evolution.

Full exomes were captured and sequenced from faecal samples. Allele frequencies for each population were estimated directly from genotype likelihoods in ANGSD and BayPass was used to identify highly differentiated SNPs while accounting for neutral population structure.

Understanding local adaptation in our closest relatives has important implications for evolutionary anthropology, evolutionary medicine and conservation. We analyse a new dataset of 828 samples from wild individuals to investigate fine-scale local adaptation in chimps.

Chimpanzees, along with bonobos, are our closest living relatives. Chimp numbers are in continuous decline with all four subspecies endangered or critically endangered. They inhabit a range of habitats in sub-Saharan Africa providing opportunity for local genetic adaptations.

Two great talks on local adaptation by PhD students in the group today #pgg55 #popgroup. Both in the 13:15 session! T19 @rees_jas will talk about human adaptation to micronutrients in the diet. T20 @H_Ostridge will talk about local adaptation in wild communities of chimpanzees.

Tomorrow at 12pm EST! Join us for the last #ClubEvMed of 2021. @AidaAndres will discuss genetic adaptation to zoonotic viruses using SIV/HIV as a case study. Register now for the meeting link! 👇

Stop by the posters of three PhD students in the group, all today at #SMBEv2021 #SMBE2021. Room 2-14 @alfie_gleeson on selection in primate face morphology genes. Room 2-13 @H_Ostridge on local adaptation in chimpanzees. Room 10-16 @rees_jas on evolution of a Selenoprotein.

I am very excited to share that our work on Drosophila male reproductive ageing is now out in @PNASNews. This work was 6-years in the making with @StuartWigby, @BRHopkins92, @EleanorBath1, @H_Ostridge, @BenediktKessler & others, funded by @bbsrc. 1/14 https://t.co/6qRENd2xmZ

I have written a small article for #ellipse about our recent publication on chimpanzee and conservation. Available in Catalan, Spanish and English. Check it out 🙉 https://t.co/2uAZ93dUS0

New #HeredityPodcast: Targeted conservation of endangered chimps @FrandsenPtr & @ClaudiaFontsere discuss a new molecular approach to conservation Listen now https://t.co/aZk3tKiShN Read the study https://t.co/Dx4mISRThb @CopenhagenZoo @MarquesBonetLab @IBE_Barcelona @GenSocUK