Daniel C. Jeffares

TL;DR: It is shown that pseudogene formation and gene loss are the principal forces shaping the different genomes of Leishmania, and genes that are differentially distributed between the species encode proteins implicated in host-pathogen interactions and parasite survival in the macrophage.

TL;DR: It is shown that copy number variants (CNVs) show a variety of genetic signals consistent with rapid turnover and make substantial contributions to quantitative traits, most notably intracellular amino acid concentrations, growth under stress and sugar utilization in winemaking, whereas rearrangements are strongly associated with reproductive isolation.

TL;DR: It is proposed that introns can delay regulatory responses and are selected against in genes whose transcripts require rapid adjustment for survival of environmental challenges.

TL;DR: Evidence is discussed that differences in intron densities in eukaryote genomes are subject to selection acting on introns depending on the biology of the organism and the gene involved.

TL;DR: A sequential (step by step) Darwinian model for the evolution of life from the late stages of the RNA world through to the emergence of eukaryotes and prokaryotes, with a functional explanation that proKaryote ancestors underwent selection for thermophily and/or for rapid reproduction at least once in their history.