Does anybody have a reference to a paper where sequence data was used to estimate theta (rather than microsatellites) for the purpose of controlling for effective population when looking at selection in different populations and species.

It seems that when looking at selection in multiple species, msats may not offer the best way to subtract out the effects of Ne. This is basically because you are assuming that the differences in theta (variability) are related to differences in effective population size, but when looking across several different species… the differences in theta could not only be attributed to differences in Ne, but also to differences inherent to variability at the particular msat loci… How many times have you tried to use a msat that you know to be hypervariable in one species on another, only to find that it monomorphic in the other.
It might be the case that estimating theta from nuclear (or mt?) sequence data might be the better way to do this.

Peromyscus californicus

Originally uploaded by PeroMHC

She was pregnant and lactating. Caught at Hastings Reserve, Carmel Valley, CA

Peromyscus truei

Originally uploaded by PeroMHC

Such a cute little thing….

Female multiple mating and paternity in free-ranging North American red squirrels

Sex-specific differences in immunological costs of multiple mating in Gryllus vocalis field crickets

MALE GENETIC QUALITY AND THE INEQUALITY BETWEEN PATERNITY SUCCESS AND FERTILIZATION SUCCESS: CONSEQUENCES FOR STUDIES OF SPERM COMPETITION AND THE EVOLUTION OF POLYANDRY

AN EVOLUTIONARY LIMIT TO MALE MATING SUCCESS

Do male moor frogs (Rana arvalis) lek with kin?

I don’t claim that this explanation is an original insight, since it’s the kind of thing you can figure out just by thinking it over — as I did today while bored. With that said, here’s one reason why: a hot girlfriend is better at sending the signal that her boyfriend is a good catch, so that female strangers are more likely to notice him and decide to make a move on him. Even if the boyfriends of hot girls weren’t any more special than those of sub-hot girls, and even if men didn’t decide to seek out strangers for increased variety, the hot girlfriend would still bring about her own betrayal more easily than would a sub-hot girlfriend.

Menstrual Blood: A Valuable Source Of Multipotential Stem Cells?

Researchers suggest that stromal cells derived from menstrual blood may represent a potentially unlimited, ethically unencumbered, easily collectable and inexpensive source of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine. The study found that MenSCs are easily expandable to clinical relevance and express multipotent markers at both the molecular and cellular level. The abundance and plasticity of MenSCs suggest a potential role for MenSCs in regenerative transplantation therapies for many different organs and tissues.

Variety Is The Spice Of Life: Too Many Males, Too Little Time…

Female Australian painted dragon lizards are polyandrous, that is, they mate with as many males as they can safely get access to. Research has shown that this preference could therefore contribute to the maintenance of both male types within the population. Female painted dragons possess the remarkable ability to store sperm inside their reproductive tract that remain viable for a considerable amount of time, so that the sperm of different males actually compete with each other to fertilize her eggs.

Three Out Of Four American Women Have Disordered Eating, Survey Suggests

Sixty-five percent of American women between the ages of 25 and 45 report having disordered eating behaviors, according to the results of an online survey. An additional 10 percent of women report symptoms consistent with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder, meaning that a total of 75 percent of American women surveyed endorse some unhealthy thoughts, feelings or behaviors related to food or their bodies.

Mother’s Diet Influences Infant Sex: High Energy Intake Linked To Conception Of Sons

New research provides the first evidence that a child’s sex is associated with the mother’s diet. A new study shows a clear link between higher energy intake around the time of conception and the birth of sons. The findings may help explain the falling birth-rate of boys in industrialized countries.

Pharyngulated!

(check out the poll)