Mike Barker

Evolutionary causes and consequences of gene duplication Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 16 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s41576-026-00935-5Gene duplication is a key evolutionary mechanism, as initially redundant paralogues diverge over time. The authors review how adaptive and non-adaptive forces influence the evolutionary fates of gene duplicates, highlighting the importance of function–fitness relationships and gene expression dynamics.

New online! Evolutionary causes and consequences of gene duplication

Genomic analyses in Drosophila do not support the classic allopatric model of speciation Abstract. The allopatric model of speciation has dominated our understanding of speciation biology and biogeography since the Modern Synthesis. It is uncon

New paper out: “allopatric” Drosophila species aren’t so allopatric after all. We show that most currently allopatric species pairs probably overlapped in the past and exchanged genes at levels similar to sympatric pairs. @evolletters.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1093/evle... [1/6]

This is a disaster. I would not be where I am today without the constructive (and yes, sometimes frustrating) reviews my NSF proposals received as a young investigator. This feedback didn't come from the POs but rather the peer reviewers and panelists who saw how I was trying to enter the field

Front, side, and dissected view photographs of anthesis flowers from Nicotiana section Repandae allopolyploids (N. nudicaulis, N. repanda, and N. stocktonii) and their diploid progenitors N. sylvestris and N. obtusifolia. Nicotiana nudicaulis also has side view flower bud photographs at Stage 1, Stage 2, and Stage 3, which represent 60%, 85%, and 95% of anthesis length, respectively. Nicotiana nudicaulis and N. repanda have transgressive delphinidin pigmentation not found in either progenitor.

Differential expression of flavonoid biosynthetic pathway genes drives the production of transgressive pigments in #Nicotiana section Repandae allotetraploids

New #AJB research by @emccnicotiana.bsky.social, @jlandisbotany.bsky.social, et al.

doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #polyploidy

Virtual workshop on #genomics analysis for #RadSeq - spaces available still for next week - Dec 16-18th! Live instruction by @noahreid.bsky.social Learn QC through data analysis using common #bioinformatic tools - #Stacks #Freebayes @uconnresearch.bsky.social @cbcuconn.bsky.social

The past and future of known biodiversity: Rates, patterns, and projections of new species over time The number of known species on Earth is increasing rapidly, suggesting unexpectedly large numbers of many groups.

Fascinated to learn that we are still discovering new species at the highest rate ever. Mapping Earth's biodiversity is far from over, and while we learn more and more about it, let's protect what we do know as well as we can!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Our plant-focused REU program, led by Prof Nagel, is open for applications, please forward to undergrads and reskeet etap.nsf.gov/award/7573/o... 🌱 🧪

Check out our review/perspective piece on phylogenetic diversification analysis, intended for the 75th anniversary of
@systbiol.bsky.social. I had the privilege of working with great coauthors, @fhenaodiaz.bsky.social, @tvasconcelos.bsky.social and @roszenil.bsky.social!
doi.org/10.1093/sysb...

Aaah! New preprint from the Sethuraman Lab has dropped! Tamsen and I have been working on this for a while, and we can’t wait for your feedback. Short thread on our swanky new polyploid genome simulator, DemographiKs, and its functionality.

The frequency and importance of polyploidy in tropical rainforest tree radiations The presence of two or more copies of the genome in an organism, termed ‘polyploidy’, is a crucial force in plant evolution, generating genetic, phenotypic and ecological diversity. The Amazonian tr...

New paper just posted with @rschley.bsky.social et al: doi.org/10.1111/nph.... (1/n)

I have a new preprint demonstrating a genome-architecture-aware approach to inferring species trees and introgression landscapes from a small number of genomes. If you are interested in phylogenomics, birds, or hybridization, this is for you! www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Last chance to register for Ciencia en Español! There will be a hybrid option too.

uarizona.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Sonoran Desert landscape looking west across Avra Valley from Tucson Mountain Park. In the foreground, a desert trail winds through cholla cacti, saguaros, ocotillo, and native shrubs. The valley stretches to distant mountain ranges on the horizon under a dramatic sky of blue patches and white cumulus clouds with rays of light breaking through.

Please pass along - We've extended the CAMBIUM fellowship deadline to December 15! Our NSF NRT supports new grad students to harness biodiversity big data to adapt to & mitigate climate change impacts. Great fit for evolutionary genomics, bioinformatics, ecology & more. cambium.arizona.edu 🧬🌐🌎

And it is worth noting that our deadline for EEB is still Monday, December 1, if you are interested in applying to our graduate program!

eeb.arizona.edu/graduate

Sonoran Desert landscape looking west across Avra Valley from Tucson Mountain Park. In the foreground, a desert trail winds through cholla cacti, saguaros, ocotillo, and native shrubs. The valley stretches to distant mountain ranges on the horizon under a dramatic sky of blue patches and white cumulus clouds with rays of light breaking through.

Please pass along - We've extended the CAMBIUM fellowship deadline to December 15! Our NSF NRT supports new grad students to harness biodiversity big data to adapt to & mitigate climate change impacts. Great fit for evolutionary genomics, bioinformatics, ecology & more. cambium.arizona.edu 🧬🌐🌎

A green promotional graphic announcing that several BSA awards are now open. At the top, large white text reads: “These BSA Awards Are Now Open!” Listed below are five award opportunities, each preceded by a small white leaf icon: – Donald R. Kaplan Memorial Lecture Nominations Deadline Jan. 15, 2026 – Corresponding Member Awards Deadline Feb. 2, 2026 – $10,000 – Donald R. Kaplan Dissertation Award in Comparative Morphology Deadline Feb. 2, 2026 – $10,000 – Graduate Student Dissertation Award in Phylogenetic Comparative Plant Biology Deadline Feb. 2, 2026 – $1500 – Graduate Student Research Awards (J.S. Karling Graduate Student Research Award and AJ Harris Graduate Student Research Award) Deadline Feb. 16, 2026 At the bottom is the URL “www.botany.org/home/awards.html,” a QR code, and a close-up image of a bright green leaf. BSA partner logos appear in the lower-left corner.

BSA’s 2026 awards cycle is now open! Kaplan Lecture, Corresponding Member, two $10k dissertation awards, and Graduate Student Research Awards—all with early 2026 deadlines. Join or renew now to be eligible and take advantage of these opportunities.

www.botany.org/home/awards.html

#BSAawards

Sonoran Desert landscape at Tucson Mountain Park with saguaro cacti, palo verde trees, and desert scrub dotting a sandy trail. Rugged brown mountains rise in the background under a bright blue sky with scattered white clouds. The photographer's shadow stretches across the rocky ground in the foreground.

View west across Avra Valley from Tucson Mountain Park. Dense Sonoran Desert vegetation fills the foreground—cholla cacti glowing in the light, saguaros, palo verdes, and ocotillo. A saguaro-studded hillside rises on the left. The valley floor stretches into the distance with a blue atmospheric haze, distant mountains on the horizon. Sky of white and gray clouds with patches of blue. A trail marker sign is visible at bottom center.

Enjoyed a hike at Tucson Mountain Park on a beautiful day in Tucson after rain the last few days!

The allotetraploid lycophyte Selaginella rupincola growing among the boulders at Cochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains southeast of Tucson, Arizona.

Xanthisma spinulosum growing outside a gym in Tucson, Arizona.

Selaginella arizonica X eremophila hybrid zone at Alamo Canyon in Organ Pipe National Monument.

A Dieteria sp. being visited by a skipper in the White Mountains of Arizona.

I'm recruiting PhD students for the Barker Lab @uofa-eeb.bsky.social We study plant evolutionary genomics - polyploidy, hybridization & machine learning for genome evolution. Work with Selaginella, Xanthisma, Brassica & more. Funding available via CAMBIUM Fellowships. Reach out if interested! 🧬🌵🤖

Postdoctoral Researcher in Plant Evolutionary Genomics The postdoctoral researcher will work in Dr. Michael Grillo’s plant evolutionary genetics lab. The goal of this research project is to understand the genomic basis of plant-microbiome variation in leg...

I am hiring a postdoc to examine the genomic and evolutionary basis of plant microbiome variation in legumes. There are opportunities to gain teaching experience. Chicago is a great city to live in! Please help spread the word.
share.google/gukbzS1zdIx6...

This new work investigates rhizotaxy on 3 rhizomorphic lycopsids including the unusual Mississippian-aged Oxroadia. We highlight the development of rhizotaxy on a juvenile Oxroadia as well as on the extant Isoetes. If you’re interested check out academic.oup.com/aob/advance-...
@annbot.bsky.social

#UBC Botany is hiring an Assistant Professor in Non-Seed Plant Diversity - come work with us in beautiful #Vancouver, BC! Please repost!

academicjobsonline.org/ajo/jobs/31140

Happening today! Join us to learn more about CAMBIUM NRT Fellowships!

Flyer for CAMBIUM (Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Through Biodiversity Informatics Education and Mentoring) Graduate Research Traineeship program. Right side shows a scenic photograph of tall saguaro cacti against desert mountains. Program highlights listed in a blue box include: professional development training in communication, teamwork, and professionalism; interdisciplinary research rotations; career and professional development; $34,000 stipend with paid tuition, fees, and health insurance coverage for 2 years; and a Certificate in Biodiversity Informatics. A red box announces an informational webinar on November 18th at 2:30 PM MST with link to the CAMBIUM program website at https://cambium.arizona.edu/. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, incoming graduate student status for Fall 2026, and acceptance contingent on graduate program admission. Bottom features a 'Register here!' button with registration link at https://events.trellis.arizona.edu/en/f44lNu67/cambium-informational-webinar-4a3UKgGu6U/overview, along with NSF, University of Arizona, and CAMBIUM NRT logos.

Join us on Nov 18 at 2:30 PM MST to learn about CAMBIUM grad fellowships in biodiversity informatics & climate change @uarizona.bsky.social. For incoming Fall 2026 students interested in big data, ecology, evolution, climate adaptation & more. Register: events.trellis.arizona.edu/en/f44lNu67/... 🌵🧬🌐

Genomic evidence for the Holocene codispersal of dogs and humans across Eastern Eurasia As the first domestic species, dogs likely dispersed with different cultural groups during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed 73 ancient dog genomes, including 17 ...

Dogs have been part of human culture for far longer than previously thought based on genomic evidence from @lachiescarsbrook.bsky.social and team. Great read. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Spatial variation in the mutation rate within the plant shoot apical meristem | PNAS The potential impact of new mutations on organismal function and evolution depends on the developmental fate of the affected cells. Stem cells in t...

🌱 From PNAS: Meristem layers mutate at different rates, with the germline-forming L2 protected and the L1 evolving faster. (Kirk R. Amundson, Mohan P. A. Marimuthu, Oanh Nguyen, Konsam Sarika, Isabelle J. DeMarco, Angelina Phan, Isabelle M. Henry, and Luca Comai)
▶️ www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...

NEW pub in @science.org 🥳

Is it sponges (panels A & B) or comb jellies (C & D) that root the animal tree of life?

For over 15 years, #phylogenomic studies have been divided.

We provide new evidence suggesting that...

🔗: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Phylogenetic patterns over sixty-five years of vegetation change across a montane elevation gradient https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.11.07.687265v1

If you're interested in working with me on a master's or PhD with questions related to genomics, biodiversity, and climate change, I'd love to chat about the CAMBIUM fellowship! There's an informational webinar next week and applications are due December 1st.

Applications due by Dec. 1

The composition and structure of the outer kinetochore KMN complex is conserved across kingdoms - Communications Biology Affinity purification in Arabidopsis identified all key subunits of the outer kinetochore KMN complex. Functional analyses revealed a striking conservation of its composition and organization across k...

www.nature.com/articles/s42...

Latest from the lab. The conclusion is in the title!
Basically, we found that the KMN complex (outer kinetochore) is fully conserved between plants and fungi/animals, showing deep origin. (reminder, you are closer to a mushroom than a mushroom is to a plant.)