Oliver Griffith

My research aims to identify the mechanisms that underpin the evolution of complex phenotypes, such as placentation. My research program integrates genomics, developmental biology, and ecophysiology to understand the mechanism that give rise to the selectable variation that has resulted in the evolution of complex traits. At Yale I aim to identify the genetic basis for placental functions in lizards, and to identify how the placenta impacts the ecophysiology of lizards in a changing climate. In particular I will show whether placentae can facilitate reproductive plasticity in lizards, identify the genetic basis of this plasticity, and identify if placental plasticity offers a fitness advantage in the warmer, less predictable environments predicted by climate models.