Jernvall Lab

Evolutionary phenomics is the study of the phenotype and factors affecting its evolution. Paleoecology, functional morphology, computational modeling, developmental biology, evodevo (evolutionary developmental biology) and genomics can be used in evolutionary phenomics studies. Whereas many of the tools and questions are shared with evolutionary genomics, the explanatory focus is on the phenotype. Consequently, developing new methods to study the phenotype are central for evolutionary phenomics in order to link the phenotype to the genotype and environment. Typical evolutionary phenomics questions are focussed on identifying the roles of natural selection, environment, and development in shaping the diversity of life. For most projects, we use the mammalian dentition which offers a rich array of interrelated data on development, function, and evolutionary history. (18-03-12)