I’m Illiam Jackson and have just started my position as a post-doc with the Uller Group after completing my PhD at Uppsala University. My PhD was an investigation into morphological evolution in the Cambrian. It focused on exploring concepts in evolutionary theory not previously examined in a palaeontological context such as stabilizing selection and genetic assimilation.
Using a morphometric approach to quantifying and analyzing changes of shape between closely related species as well as within a single species through time, the project illustrated the potential for new modes of analysis that quantify morphological variation along continuous spectra rather than into discrete units and characters.
The interpretation of the project’s results was conducted in the conceptual framework of the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis and identified patterns of phenotypic plasticity and subsequent accommodation, or genetic assimilation, consistent with those predicted by a model of evolution that incorporates a reciprocal relationship between development and environment. In other words, the results suggest that developmental bias and phenotypic plasticity may play very important roles in evolution even, or especially, across geological timescales.
My work with the Uller Group will continue the study of these topics as well as working towards synthesizing this deep-time perspective with the fields of evolutionary biology and theory. I will also be collaborating with other group members by employing and developing the morphometric methods mentioned above in the study of extant organisms.
I have a broad background in evolutionary biology and even broader interest so please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like to discuss or ask anything, or have ideas for potential collaboration!
