#572 Günter Wagner: Gene Regulation, Evolutionary Novelties, and the Evolution of Pregnancy
RECORDED ON SEPTEMBER 24th 2021.
Dr. Günter Wagner is Alison Richard Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, and Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University, and Adjunct Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Wayne State University. He is an evolutionary geneticist with training in biochemical engineering, zoology and mathematics from the University of Vienna, Austria. Dr. Wagner’s research interest is the evolution of gene regulation as it pertains to the origin of evolutionary novelties. In particular the lab is focusing on the evolution of the endometrial stromal cells in the context of the evolutionary origin of pregnancy. Another focus of his lab is the developmental basis of character identity, as for instance in the case of digit identity of birds.
In this episode, we talk about gene regulation, evolutionary novelties, and pregnancy. We start with gene evolution, why it evolved, its importance in evolution, pleiotropy and polygeny, and the relationship between development and evolution. We then get into evolutionary novelties, complex organisms, functional specialization, and the concept of “evolvability”. Finally, we talk about the evolution of pregnancy, endometrial stromal cells, why the fetus is not attacked by the mother’s immune system, and the relationship between invasive placentation and malignant cancer.
Time Links:
Intro
The evolution of gene regulation
Pleiotropy and polygeny
Development and evolution
Evolutionary novelties, complex organisms, and functional specialization
Evolvability
The evolution of pregnancy
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Follow Dr. Wagner’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/3u9R0uV
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/2SmQD2t