Alannah Brewer

I plan to investigate compensatory evolution following loss of wings using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism. Wings are not only critical for flight, but also courtship. This raises the question as to whether populations evolving without wings for 50 generations can evolve compensatory responses that mitigate the fitness consequences of wing loss. Exploring how organisms compensate for loss of a key trait contributes to the broader  understanding of how populations adapt to ecological change and maintain fitness.