Mitochondria, maternal inheritance and the evolution of male life-histories

This project aims to unravel the extent to which maternal inheritance of the mitochondrial DNA renders it susceptible to accumulating mutations that are harmful only to males; an evolutionary theory called 'Mother's Curse'. Left unchecked, Mother's Curse would represent a threat to the long term viability of populations. This project will combine experimental techniques in ecology with the power of fruit fly genetics, to test three hypotheses central to the theory. By testing these hypotheses, the project intends to provide previouslyunattainable insights into the causes of sex differences in physiology, longevity and reproductive health. It aims to achieve this goal by harnessing a new platform for measuring physiological phenotypes.