David Houle
Encyclopedia
David Houle is an evolutionary biologist who studies fruitflies
as an experimental organism for understanding adaptation and behavior. He is a Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University
.
His experimental contributions include studies of evolution of wing shape in the genus Drosophila, the evolution of the ability to evolve, and adaptation under natural and sexual selection. His theoretical contributions have included work on good genes mechanisms in sexual selection, the evolution of variance-covariance matrices, the detection of evolutionary constraints, and the use of fluctuating asymmetry as an indicator of developmental stability.
Drosophila
Drosophila is a genus of small flies, belonging to the family Drosophilidae, whose members are often called "fruit flies" or more appropriately pomace flies, vinegar flies, or wine flies, a reference to the characteristic of many species to linger around overripe or rotting fruit...
as an experimental organism for understanding adaptation and behavior. He is a Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
.
His experimental contributions include studies of evolution of wing shape in the genus Drosophila, the evolution of the ability to evolve, and adaptation under natural and sexual selection. His theoretical contributions have included work on good genes mechanisms in sexual selection, the evolution of variance-covariance matrices, the detection of evolutionary constraints, and the use of fluctuating asymmetry as an indicator of developmental stability.