Statistical analysis of fruit fly wing vein topology

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster is a commonly used model organism for evolution given that the species showcases interesting behaviors and is easy to modify and rear. Among other things, the Drosophila wings are studied because their structure is tractable, consistent, and traceable developmentally. Along with Dr. Ezra Miller and Ashleigh Thomas, I studied evolutionary changes to Drosophila melanogaster wings using persistent homology. The biological hypothesis posits that selecting for continuous wing deformation leads to higher rates of topological novelty. We are interested in understanding whether selection on a continuous trait can itself cause higher rates of variation of a (separate) discrete trait. We work joint with Dr. David Houle at Florida State University.