What are the gene types, specific genes, and gene regions that contribute to evolutionarily relevant variation?

How do those genetic variants interact with environmental factors to regulate developmental trajectories and outcomes and account for phenotypic plasticity?

For the dissection of variation in complex, diversified, and ecologically-relevant phenotypes the lab uses two complementary models: Bicyclus anynana butterflies and Drosophila melanogaster flies.

• Saenko SV, PM Brakefield & P Beldade (2010)  Single locus affects embryonic segment polarity and multiple aspects of an adult evolutionary novelty BMC Biology  8 : 111
• Beldade, P., SV Saenko, N Pul & AD Long (2009)  A gene-based linkage map for Bicyclus anynana butterflies allows for a comphenesive analysis of synteny with the lepidopteran reference genome PLoS Genetics  5 : e1000366
• Wittkopp PJ & P Beldade (2009)  Development and evolution of insect pigmentation: genetic mechanisms and the potential consequences of pleiotropy Seminars in Cell & Developmental Biology  20 : 65-71
• Beldade, P., Rudd, S., Gruber, J.D. & Long, A.D. (2006)  An Expression Sequence Tag resource for Bicyclus anynana butterflies, an evo-devo model BMC Genomics  7 : 130
• Beldade P, Brakefield, P.M. & Long, A.D. (2002)  Contribution of Distal-less to quantitative variation in butterfly eyespots Nature  415 : 315-318
• Beldade, P., Koops, K. & Brakefield, P.M. (2002)  Developmental constraints versus flexibility in morphological evolution Nature  416 : 844-847
• Beldade, P. & Brakefield, P.M. (2002)  Genetics and evo-devo of butterfly wing patterns Nature Reviews Genetics  3 : 442-452
• Beldade P, K Koop & PM Brakefield (2002)  Modularity, individuality, and evo-devo in butterfly wings Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences U.S.A  99 : 14262-14267