What beetles can tell us about evolution

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About the research

It’s always thought that evolution happens by slow and gradual changes. But can evolution also happen fast? Oh, yes! Beetle wings for example can change super fast. How? Zoë looks for answers in the DNA. With the current advancements in technology we are finally able to read entire genomes of a species and start answering questions Darwin could only dream off.

Zoê De Corte
KBIN

Zoë De Corte is an evolutionary biologist with a side of computer geek. Evolutionary genomics, a field in biology where evolution is studied by looking at the genome, is the perfect match for her interests as it requires programming skills to answer crucial and yet unresolved evolutionary questions. Zoë conducts this research at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. She was also granted a Fulbright scholarships and is collaborating with the lab of Prof. Brisson (Rochester University, US) for nine months (2019-2020).