Berger lab

Sexual selection and adaptation to novel environments

Our current research revolves around understanding how individual-level selection can modify mutation rates as well as their phenotypic effects, and how this in turn may affect evolutionary demography in sexually reproducing organisms. We combine experimental quantitative and molecular genetics to explore these processes, as well as other related questions within life history and sexual selection theory, in insect model systems. Visit Our research page to find out more about the main themes of our research:

Sexual Selection and Adaptation to Novel Environments
Condition dependent DNA Repair and Mutation Rates
The Evolution of Mutational Effects

For more information, see Our research page

Group members

Research leader: David Berger

Group members: Alex Hart, Johanna Rönn, Neele Schmidt, Loke von Schmalensee, Alex Rego

Publications

A systematic map of studies testing the relationship between temperature and animal reproduction

Dougherty, Liam R.; Frost, Fay; Maenpaa, Maarit I.; Rowe, Melissah et al.

Part of Ecological Solutions and Evidence, 2024
- DOI for A systematic map of studies testing the relationship between temperature and animal reproduction
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Environmental complexity mitigates the demographic impact of sexual selection

Berger, David; Liljestrand Rönn, Johanna

Part of Ecology Letters, 2024
- DOI for Environmental complexity mitigates the demographic impact of sexual selection
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Heat stress reveals a fertility debt owing to postcopulatory sexual selection

Baur, Julian; Zwoinska, Martyna; Koppik, Mareike; Snook, Rhonda R. et al.

Part of Evolution Letters, p. 101-113, 2024
- DOI for Heat stress reveals a fertility debt owing to postcopulatory sexual selection
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When and how can we predict adaptive responses to climate change?

Urban, Mark C.; Swaegers, Janne; Stoks, Robby; Snook, Rhonda R. et al.

Part of Evolution Letters, p. 172-187, 2024
- DOI for When and how can we predict adaptive responses to climate change?
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Coevolution of longevity and female germline maintenance

Baur, Julian; Koppik, Mareike; Savkovic, Uros; Dordevic, Mirko et al.

Part of Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences, 2024
- DOI for Coevolution of longevity and female germline maintenance
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Mixed support for an alignment between phenotypic plasticity and genetic differentiation in damselfly wing shape

Johansson, Frank; Berger, David; Outomuro, David; Sniegula, Szymon et al.

Part of Journal of Evolutionary Biology, p. 368-380, 2023
- DOI for Mixed support for an alignment between phenotypic plasticity and genetic differentiation in damselfly wing shape
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Increased male investment in sperm competition results in reduced maintenance of gametes

Koppik, Mareike; Baur, Julian; Berger, David

Part of PLoS biology, 2023
- DOI for Increased male investment in sperm competition results in reduced maintenance of gametes
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Developmental bias predicts 60 million years of wing shape evolution

Rohner, Patrick T.; Berger, David

Part of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2023
- DOI for Developmental bias predicts 60 million years of wing shape evolution
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On aging and age-specific effects of spontaneous mutations

Shenoi, Vinesh N.; Mital, Avani; Brengdahl, Martin, I; Abson, Katie et al.

Part of Evolution, p. 1780-1790, 2023
- DOI for On aging and age-specific effects of spontaneous mutations
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Experimental evolution of dispersal: Unifying theory, experiments and natural systems

Lustenhouwer, Nicky; Moerman, Felix; Altermatt, Florian; Bassar, Ronald D. D. et al.

Part of Journal of Animal Ecology, p. 1113-1123, 2023
- DOI for Experimental evolution of dispersal: Unifying theory, experiments and natural systems
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Research areas

Animal Ecology