Jerry Coyne, Ph.D. Professor Department of Ecology and Evolution Biological Sciences Collegiate Division Office: Zoology 309B | Phone: (773) 702-1105 | Fax: (773) 702-9740 | email: j-coyne(at)uchicago(dot)edu Subjects: I work on a diverse array of topics in the areas of population and evolutionary genetics, speciation, ecological genetics, and molecular evolution.

Research Interests

Although we work on diverse areas of evolutionary genetics, the laboratory's main focus is on the original problem raised by Darwin: the origin of species. Our aim is to understand this process through the genetic patterns it produces. By estimating the numbers, locations, and effects of genes causing reproductive isolation in Drosophila (hybrid sterility, mating discrimination, etc.), we hope to understand whether speciation involves many or only a few genes, whether genetic drift plays a significant role in the process, and whether the movement of transposable elements causes hybrid sterility and inviability. Most of our studies require classical genetic analysis involving crosses among distinct species, but we also collaborate with other groups to construct DNA-based phylogenies of these species, and to use molecular markers for quantitative-trait-locus (QTL) mapping of genes causing reproductive isolation and morphological differences between species. We are also engaged in a variety of other projects, including the dynamics of chromosome evolution and various aspects of the ecological genetics of Drosophila.

I am interested in supervising projects on speciation, ecological and evolutionary genetics, particularly if they involve Drosophila.

Select Publications

Books

Coyne, J. A. and H. A. Orr.  Speciation.  Sinauer, Sunderland, MA. Amazon.com

Coyne, J. A.  2009.  Why Evolution is True.  Viking, New York Amazon.com

Articles

Coyne, J.A. and H.A. Orr. 1989. Patterns of speciation in Drosophila. Evolution 43: 362-381. PDF

Coyne, J.A. 1994. Ernst Mayr and the origin of species. Evolution, 51: 19-30. PDF

Coyne, J.A. and H.A. Orr. 1997. "Patterns of speciation in Drosophila" Revisited. Evolution, 51: 295-303. PDF

Coyne, J.A. and H.A. Orr. 1998. The evolutionary genetics of speciation. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. B: 287-305. PDF

Coyne, J.A. and T.D. Price. 2000. Little evidence for sympatric speciation in island birds. Evolution, 54: 2166-2171. PDF

Price, C.S.C., C.H. Kim, J. Posluszny and J.A. Coyne. 2000. Mechanisms of conspecific sperm precedence in Drosophila. Evolution, 54: 2028-2037. PDF

Price, C.S.C., C.H. Kim, C.J. Gronlund and J.A. Coyne. 2001. Cryptic reproductive isolation in the Drosophila simulans species complex. Evolution, 55: 81-92. PDF

Turelli, M., N.H. Barton and J.A. Coyne. 2001. Theory and speciation. TRENDS in Ecology & Evolution, 16: 330-343. PDF

Llopart, A., S. Elwyn, D. Lachaise and J.A. Coyne. 2002. Genetics of a difference in pigmentation between Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea. Evolution, 56: 2262-2277. PDF

Hudson, R.D. and J.A. Coyne. 2002. Mathematical consequences of the genealogical species concept. Evolution, 56: 1557-1565. PDF

Llopart, A., S. Elwyn and J.A. Coyne. 2002. Pigmentation and mate choice in Drosophila melanogaster. Nature 419: 360.

Coyne J.A., S.Y. Kim, A.S. Chang, D. Lachaise and S. Elwyn. 2002. Sexual isolation between two siblings with overlapping ranges: Drosophila santomea and D. yakuba Evolution 56: 2424-2434. PDF

Greenberg, A.J., J.R. Moran, J.A. Coyne and C-I. Wu. 2003. Ecological adaptation during incipient speciation revealed by precise gene replacement. Science 302: 1754-1757.

Moehring, A.J., J. Li, M.D. Schug, S. Smith, M. deAngelis, T.F.C. Mackay and J.A. Coyne. 2004. Quantitative trait loci for sexual isolation between Drosophila and D. mauritiana. Genetics 167:1265-1274. PDF

Coyne, J.A., S. Elwyn, S.Y. Kim and A. Llopart. 2004. Genetic studies of two sister species in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup, D. yakuba and D. santomea. Genet. Res., 84: 11-26. PDF

Coyne, J.A. and H.A. Orr. 2004. Speciation. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.

Carbone, M. A., A. Llopart, M DeAngelis, J. A. Coyne and T. F. C. Mackay. 2005. Quantitative trait loci affecting the difference in pigmentation between Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea. Genetics 171: 211-225. PDF

Coyne, J. A., S. Elwyn, and E. Rolan-Alvarez. 2005. Sexual isolation between Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea: effects of environment and experimental design. Evolution 59: 2588-2601. PDF

Llopart, A., D. Lachaise, and J. A. Coyne. 2005. Multilocus analysis of introgression between two sympatric sister species of Drosophila, D. yakuba and D. santomea. Genetics 171:197-210. PDF

Llopart, A., D. Lachaise, and J. A. Coyne. 2005. An anomalous hybrid zone in Drosophila. Evolution 59:2602-2607. PDF

Coyne, J. A., and S. Elwyn. 2006. Desaturase-2, environmental adaptation, and sexual isolation in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 60:626-627. PDF

Moehring, A. J., A. Llopart, S. Elwyn, J. A. Coyne, and T. F. C. Mackay. 2006. The genetic basis of postzygotic reproductive isolation between Drosophila yakuba and D. santomea due to hybrid male sterility. Genetics 173:225-233. PDF

Moehring, A. J., A. Llopart, S. Elwyn, J. A. Coyne, and T. F. C. Mackay. 2006. Genetic basis of prezygotic reproductive isolation between Drosophila santomea and D. yakuba due to mating preference. Genetics 173:215-223. PDF

Hoekstra, H. E. and J. A. Coyne. 2007. The locus of evolution: evo devo and the genetics of adaptation. Evolution 61: 995-1016. PDF

Coyne, J.A., E.H. Kay, and S. Pruett-Jones. 2008. The genetic basis of sexual dimorphism in birds. Evolution 62: 214-219.

Matute, D.R., C.J. Novak, and J. A. Coyne. 2009. Temperature-based extrinisitc reproductive isolation in two species of Drosophila. Evolution 63: 595-612.

Matute, D.R. I.A. Butler, and J. A. Coyne. 2009. Little Effect of the tan Locus on Pigmentation in Female Hybrids between Drosophila santomea and D. melanogaster. Cell 139: 1180-1188.

Matute, D.R. and J.A. Coyne. Intrinsic reproductive isolation between two sister species of Drosophila. Evolution 64: 903-920.

Matute, D.R. I.A. Butler, D.A. Turissini, and J.A. Coyne. 2010. A Test of the Snowball Theory for the Rate of Evolution of Hybrid Incompatibilities. Science 329: 1518-1521.

Coyne, J.A. 2012. Science, religion, and society: The problem of evolution in America. Evolution 66: 2654-2663.

Book reviews and miscellaneous publications

Coyne, J.A. 1996. God in the details. Nature, 383:227-228. PDF

Coyne., J.A. 1998. Not black and white. Nature, 396: 35-36. PDF

Coyne, J.A. 1999. The self-centred meme. Nature, 398: 767-768. PDF

Coyne, J.A. and A. Berry. 2000. Rape as an adaptation. Nature, 404: 121-122. PDF

Coyne, J.A. 2001. Creationism by stealth. Nature, 410: 745-746. PDF

Coyne, J. A. 2005. The faith that dares not speak its name: The Case Against Intelligent Design. The New Republic, Aug. 22, 2005, pp. 21-33. PDF

Coyne, J. A. 2007. The Great Mutator (Review of The Edge of Evolution, by Michael J. Behe). The New Republic, June 18, 2007, pp. 38-44. PDF

Coyne, J.A. 2011. Speciation in a small space. PNAS 108: 12975-12976.