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Mark D. Rausher, John Carlisle Kilgo Distinguished Professor of Biology

 

Mark D. Rausher

We investigate the evolutionary processes that cause change at both the phenotypic and genetic levels. We have particular interests in the genetic basis of adaptation and in the evolution of metabolic pathways. Our approaches include molecular dissection of ecologically important phenotypes and characterizing patterns of selection acting on those phenotypes under natural conditions. For more information, please visit the Rausher lab web site.

Please note: Mark has left Center for Theoretical & Mathematical Sciences at Duke University; some info here might not be up to date.

Contact Info:
Office Location:  Room 3326 French Family Science Center, Durham, NC 27708
Office Phone:  (919) 684-2295
Email Address: send me a message
Web Page:  http://www.duke.edu/~mrausher/

Education:

Ph.D.Cornell University1978
B.A.The University of Chicago1973

Specialties:

Evolution
Genetics
Ecology and Population Biology

Research Interests: Evolutionary Genetics and Molecular Evolution

We investigate the evolutionary processes that cause change at both the phenotypic and genetic levels. We have particular interests in the genetic basis of adaptation and in the evolution of metabolic pathways. Our approaches include molecular dissection of ecologically important phenotypes and characterizing patterns of selection acting on those phenotypes under natural conditions. For more information, please visit the Rausher lab web site.

Areas of Interest:

molecular evolution
genetics of adaptation
evolution of pathways and networks
quantifying natural selection
evolution of plant mating systems
evolution of plant-enemy interactions

Keywords:

Access to Information • Acyltransferases • Adaptation, Biological • Adaptation, Physiological • Alcohol Oxidoreductases • Alleles • Amino Acid Sequence • Amino Acid Substitution • Amino Acids • Analysis of Variance • Angiosperms • Animals • Anthocyanins • Ants • Arabidopsis • Arabidopsis Proteins • Archives • Bacteriophage T7 • Base Sequence • Basidiomycota • Bayes Theorem • Bees • Behavior, Animal • Binding Sites • Biological Evolution • Birds • Breeding • Butterflies • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid • Chromosome Mapping • Chromosome Segregation • Cloning, Molecular • Codon • Color • Computer Simulation • Convolvulaceae • Crosses, Genetic • Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System • Databases, Factual • Deer • Directed Molecular Evolution • Disease Resistance • DNA Primers • DNA, Plant • DNA, Viral • Ecology • Ecosystem • Ecotype • Energy Metabolism • Environment • Enzymes • Evolution, Molecular • Extinction, Biological • Fabaceae • Feeding Behavior • Fertility • Fertilization • Flavanones • Flavonols • Flowers • Fungi • Gene Deletion • Gene Dosage • Gene Duplication • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant • Gene Flow • Gene Frequency • Gene Silencing • Genes, Dominant • Genes, Duplicate • Genes, myb • Genes, Plant • Genes, Recessive • Genes, Regulator • Genetic Complementation Test • Genetic Drift • Genetic Fitness • Genetic Loci • Genetic Pleiotropy • Genetic Speciation • Genetic Variation • Genetics, Population • Genotype • Geography • Glucosinolates • Glucosyltransferases • Helix-Turn-Helix Motifs • Herbivores • Heterozygote • Homozygote • Hot Temperature • Hybridization, Genetic • Immunity, Innate • Information Management • Information Storage and Retrieval • Inheritance Patterns • Insects • Intramolecular Lyases • Ipomoea • Kinetics • Lepidoptera • Likelihood Functions • Metabolic Networks and Pathways • Mimulus • Mixed Function Oxygenases • Models, Biological • Models, Genetic • Models, Statistical • Molecular Sequence Data • Moths • Movements • Multivariate Analysis • Mutagenesis, Insertional • Mutagenesis, Site-Directed • Mutation • Mycology • Natural selection • North Carolina • Oenothera • Onagraceae • Oxygenases • Pathogens • Phenotype • Phylogeny • Pigmentation • Plant Development • Plant Diseases • Plant Extracts • Plant Leaves • Plant Physiological Phenomena • Plant Proteins • Plant Stems • Plants • Plants, Genetically Modified • Pollen • Pollination • Polymerase Chain Reaction • Polymorphism, Genetic • Protein Structure, Tertiary • Publishing • Quantitative Trait, Heritable • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction • Recombination, Genetic • Regression Analysis • Reproducibility of Results • Reproduction • Reproduction, Asexual • Reproductive Isolation • Research • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction • RNA, Messenger • Seeds • Selection • Selection, Genetic • Sequence Analysis, DNA • Sequence Analysis, Protein • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid • Sex Characteristics • Sex Factors • Software • Solanaceae • Solanum • South Carolina • Species Specificity • Statistics as Topic • Substrate Specificity • Sulfotransferases • Survival Analysis • Symbiosis • Sympatry • Texas • Thermodynamics • Time Factors • Transcription Factors • United States • Zea mays

Current Ph.D. Students   (Former Students)
  • Gongyuan Cao  
  • Jonathan Colen  
  • Rong-Chien Lin  
  • Tanya Duncan  
  • Dave Des Marais  

Postdocs Mentored
  • Yi Yuan (2023-present)  
  • Kate Ostevik (2016 - 2021)  
  • Robin Hopkins (2011 - 2012)  
  • Xiang-Wen Fang (2011 - 2012)  
  • Xiao-Fang Yu (2011 - 2012)  
  • Junmin Li (2011 - 2012)  
  • Talline Martins (2011 - 2015)  
  • Ming Kang (2010)  
  • Shunqi Wang (2009)  
  • Matthew Streisfeld (2005-2009)  
  • Marc Johnson (2007-2008)  
  • Stacey Smith (2006-2010)  
  • Diana Wolf (2000/09-2003/09)  
  • Yingqing Lu (2000/08-2003/08)  
  • Shu-Mei Chang (1997/06-1998/12)  
  • Nora Underwood (1997/06-1998/08)  
  • Richard E Miller (1995/09-2001/12)  
  • Susan Paulsen (1994 - 1997)  
  • James Fry (1989 - 1991)  
  • Francois Odendaal (1985 - 1990)  
  • Ellen Simms (1984 - 1988)  

Representative Publications   (More Publications)

  1. Smith, RA; Rausher, MD, Experimental evidence that selection favors character displacement in the ivyleaf morning glory., The American naturalist, vol. 171 no. 1 (January, 2008), pp. 1-9 [18171146], [doi]  [abs]
  2. Vallejo-Marín, M; Rausher, MD, Selection through female fitness helps to explain the maintenance of male flowers., The American naturalist, vol. 169 no. 5 (May, 2007), pp. 563-568 [17427128], [doi]  [abs]
  3. Vallejo-Marín, M; Rausher, MD, The role of male flowers in andromonoecious species: energetic costs and siring success in Solanum carolinense L., Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, vol. 61 no. 2 (February, 2007), pp. 404-412, ISSN 0014-3820 [17348949], [doi]  [abs]
  4. Kniskern, JM; Rausher, MD, Natural selection on a polymorphic disease-resistance locus in Ipomoea purpurea., Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, vol. 61 no. 2 (February, 2007), pp. 377-387, ISSN 0014-3820 [17348947], [doi]  [abs]
  5. Smith, RA; Rausher, MD, Close clustering of anthers and stigma in Ipomoea hederacea enhances prezygotic isolation from Ipomoea purpurea., The New phytologist, vol. 173 no. 3 (January, 2007), pp. 641-647, ISSN 0028-646X [17244059], [doi]  [abs]
  6. Rausher, MD, Comment on "Evolutionary paths underlying flower color variation in Antirrhinum", Science, vol. 315 no. 461a (2007), pp. 461 [doi]  [abs]
  7. Kniskern, JM; Rausher, MD, Environmental variation mediates the deleterious effects of Coleosporium ipomoeae on Ipomoea purpurea., Ecology, vol. 87 no. 3 (March, 2006), pp. 675-685, ISSN 0012-9658 [16602297], [doi]  [abs]
  8. Rausher, MD, The evolution of flavonoids and their genes, in The Science of Flavonoids, edited by E. Grotewold (January, 2006), pp. 175-211, Springer New York, ISBN 9780387288215 [doi]  [abs]
  9. Kniskern, JM; Rausher, MD, Major-gene resistance to the rust pathogen Coleosporium ipomoeae is common in natural populations of Ipomoea purpurea., The New phytologist, vol. 171 no. 1 (January, 2006), pp. 137-144, ISSN 0028-646X [16771989], [doi]  [abs]
  10. Chang, S-M; Lu, Y; Rausher, MD, Neutral evolution of the nonbinding region of the anthocyanin regulatory gene Ipmyb1 in Ipomoea., Genetics, vol. 170 no. 4 (August, 2005), pp. 1967-1978, ISSN 0016-6731 [15944366], [doi]  [abs]
  11. Zufall, RA; Rausher, MD, Genetic changes associated with floral adaptation restrict future evolutionary potential., Nature, vol. 428 no. 6985 (April, 2004), pp. 847-850 [15103375], [doi]  [abs]
  12. Mendelson, TC; Inouye, BD; Rausher, MD, Quantifying patterns in the evolution of reproductive isolation, Evolution, vol. 58 no. 7 (2004), pp. 1685-1695 [pdf], [doi]  [abs]
  13. Fehr, C; Rausher, MD, Effects of variation at the flower-colour A locus on mating system parameters in Ipomoea purpurea., Molecular ecology, vol. 13 no. 7 (July, 2004), pp. 1839-1847, ISSN 0962-1083 [15189207], [doi]  [abs]
  14. Lu, Y; Rausher, MD, Evolutionary rate variation in anthocyanin pathway genes., Molecular biology and evolution, vol. 20 no. 11 (November, 2003), pp. 1844-1853, ISSN 0737-4038 [12885963], [doi]  [abs]
  15. Coberly, LC; Rausher, MD, Analysis of a chalcone synthase mutant in Ipomoea purpurea reveals a novel function for flavonoids: amelioration of heat stress., Molecular ecology, vol. 12 no. 5 (May, 2003), pp. 1113-1124, ISSN 0962-1083 [12694276], [doi]  [abs]
  16. Stinchcombe, JR; Rausher, MD, The evolution of tolerance to deer herbivory: modifications caused by the abundance of insect herbivores., Proceedings. Biological sciences, vol. 269 no. 1497 (June, 2002), pp. 1241-1246, ISSN 0962-8452 [12065040], [doi]  [abs]
  17. Stinchcombe, JR; Rutter, MT; Burdick, DS; Tiffin, P; Rausher, MD; Mauricio, R, Testing for environmentally induced bias in phenotypic estimates of natural selection: theory and practice., The American naturalist, vol. 160 no. 4 (October, 2002), pp. 511-523 [18707526], [doi]  [abs]
  18. Rausher, MD, Co-evolution and plant resistance to natural enemies., Nature, vol. 411 no. 6839 (June, 2001), pp. 857-864, ISSN 0028-0836 [11459070], [doi]  [abs]
  19. Subramaniam, B; Rausher, MD, Balancing selection on a floral polymorphism., Evolution; international journal of organic evolution, vol. 54 no. 2 (April, 2000), pp. 691-695, ISSN 0014-3820 [10937244], [doi]  [abs]
  20. Tiffin, P; Miller, RE; Rausher, MD, Control of expression patterns of anthocyanin structural genes by two loci in the common morning glory, Genes and Genetic Systems, vol. 73 no. 2 (January, 1998), pp. 105-110, Genetics Society of Japan [pdf], [doi]  [abs]