DECAF investigates how epigenetic processes influence evolution across different timescales. Epigenetic changes are chemical modifications of DNA that do not alter the genetic code itself but can affect how genes are regulated. These changes can occur in response to environmental conditions and may shape how organisms adapt over time.
A central question is whether such short-term changes can leave lasting traces in the genome and contribute to long-term evolutionary processes. Using birds as model systems, the project combines fieldwork, laboratory experiments, and computational analyses to better understand how genetic and epigenetic variation interact.
The project focuses on three main research areas: early developmental processes, the relationship between genetic and epigenetic diversity, and the role of epigenetics in hybridisation and species formation. Together, these approaches provide new insights into how organisms respond to environmental change and how this may influence evolution.
DECAF has opened new research directions, including integrating genetic and epigenetic variation in evolutionary analyses and using long-read sequencing to reconstruct complex genome structures. These advances provide a foundation for future work on how organisms adapt to environmental change and how evolutionary processes operate across different timescales.