Overview

Research in the Shaw Lab has several intersecting themes related to the study of phenotype/ genotype, evolution and speciation, taking an interdisciplinary approach. We investigate the process of speciation, with a strong emphasis on how behaviors and life history traits vary in nature both within and among species, their capacity to act as barriers to gene flow, the underlying genetics and genomics of this variation, and the causes of evolution in these traits.  Current research effort focuses on studies of reproductive behavior (e.g. acoustic behavior, chemical communication, sperm competition) and population genetics and genomics of closely related species as they represent groups that have diverged early in speciation.  Much of our research is focused on the Hawaiian cricket genus Laupala, a system where mate recognition evolution characterizes closely related species, sexual selection and/or reinforcement is a likely mechanism of early lineage divergence, genetic dissection of mate recognition and related traits is feasible, and phylogenetic replication of the process exists. With 38 species endemic to the Hawaiian archipelago,  Laupala offers an exceptional model to test hypotheses regarding the role of mate recognition evolution in speciation.

We have studied questions related to these themes including analyses of:

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Genomic consequences of speciation, through quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies, transcriptomic analyses, and genome annotations to understand the genetic architecture of speciation. For more information please see here.

​Phylogenetic and evolutionary consequences of speciation using DNA sequences (through phylogenetic and population genetic analyses and study of species boundaries). For more information please see here.