Thomas Turner

Research in the Turner Lab is focused on understanding the causes and consequences of genetic variation. Our current research is focused on understanding the genetic basis of behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster. Individual flies have different preferences when it comes to whom to mate with or where to lay eggs, and these preferences have evolved between populations and species. The primary goal of the lab is to locate the genetic changes responsible for this variation and determine how these changes effect the nervous system. This will help us understand the nature of behavior, the maintenance of variation in populations, and the causes of evolutionary change.