José Cerca
@naturalselection.bsky.social
Group leader at the Swedish Museum of Natural History
Evolutionary biologist interested in island biology, adaptive radiation, genomes and ecological niches.
Islandevolution.github.io
Evolutionary biologist interested in island biology, adaptive radiation, genomes and ecological niches.
Islandevolution.github.io
A present from one of my scientific heroes - Juan Manuel Guayasamin; Reptiles of the Galápagos 🦎🐍🐢
August 16, 2025 at 5:13 PM
A present from one of my scientific heroes - Juan Manuel Guayasamin; Reptiles of the Galápagos 🦎🐍🐢
Species in the Galápagos are really fascinating.
Opuntia echios from two different islands separated by only 100 meters. Both plants have lenified, meaning they are quite old, but their height difference is remarkable for a single species.
Natural selection or plasticity?
Opuntia echios from two different islands separated by only 100 meters. Both plants have lenified, meaning they are quite old, but their height difference is remarkable for a single species.
Natural selection or plasticity?
August 15, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Species in the Galápagos are really fascinating.
Opuntia echios from two different islands separated by only 100 meters. Both plants have lenified, meaning they are quite old, but their height difference is remarkable for a single species.
Natural selection or plasticity?
Opuntia echios from two different islands separated by only 100 meters. Both plants have lenified, meaning they are quite old, but their height difference is remarkable for a single species.
Natural selection or plasticity?
We found no accumulation over time or specific groups of TEs.
June 2, 2025 at 6:16 AM
We found no accumulation over time or specific groups of TEs.
🔍 Despite rapid speciation, niche shifts, and hybridization, we found no significant TE accumulation differences across species or hybrids.
🌵 Even in arid-adapted lineages—where genome downsizing may be expected—TEs didn’t decline.
🌵 Even in arid-adapted lineages—where genome downsizing may be expected—TEs didn’t decline.
June 2, 2025 at 6:16 AM
🔍 Despite rapid speciation, niche shifts, and hybridization, we found no significant TE accumulation differences across species or hybrids.
🌵 Even in arid-adapted lineages—where genome downsizing may be expected—TEs didn’t decline.
🌵 Even in arid-adapted lineages—where genome downsizing may be expected—TEs didn’t decline.
Absolutely love this.
From:
"The what, how, and why of trait-based analyses in ecology" in ECOGRAPHY
Guillerme et al
From:
"The what, how, and why of trait-based analyses in ecology" in ECOGRAPHY
Guillerme et al
May 23, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Absolutely love this.
From:
"The what, how, and why of trait-based analyses in ecology" in ECOGRAPHY
Guillerme et al
From:
"The what, how, and why of trait-based analyses in ecology" in ECOGRAPHY
Guillerme et al
Here am I using dozens of my working hours to move plants around countries to do science; while rich people can just pluck off random plants and take them to space without a care in the world.
April 16, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Here am I using dozens of my working hours to move plants around countries to do science; while rich people can just pluck off random plants and take them to space without a care in the world.
This has the German and Colombian flags but represents my experience (🇵🇹/🇳🇴🇸🇪) 😅
Source:
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Source:
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
March 6, 2025 at 3:15 AM
This has the German and Colombian flags but represents my experience (🇵🇹/🇳🇴🇸🇪) 😅
Source:
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Source:
www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...
Now you'll never forget :-P
February 18, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Now you'll never forget :-P
New paper out 📝✨
"k-mer approaches for biodiversity genomics"
We discuss k-mer spectra, sex determination, allopolyploid subgenome separation, among other topics - and offer a large tutorial list
Link to paper:
genome.cshlp.org/content/earl...
Link to all tutorials:
github.com/KamilSJaron/...
"k-mer approaches for biodiversity genomics"
We discuss k-mer spectra, sex determination, allopolyploid subgenome separation, among other topics - and offer a large tutorial list
Link to paper:
genome.cshlp.org/content/earl...
Link to all tutorials:
github.com/KamilSJaron/...
February 3, 2025 at 7:18 AM
New paper out 📝✨
"k-mer approaches for biodiversity genomics"
We discuss k-mer spectra, sex determination, allopolyploid subgenome separation, among other topics - and offer a large tutorial list
Link to paper:
genome.cshlp.org/content/earl...
Link to all tutorials:
github.com/KamilSJaron/...
"k-mer approaches for biodiversity genomics"
We discuss k-mer spectra, sex determination, allopolyploid subgenome separation, among other topics - and offer a large tutorial list
Link to paper:
genome.cshlp.org/content/earl...
Link to all tutorials:
github.com/KamilSJaron/...
Now, what's interesting is how they are present on the the breakpoints:
tandemly repeated. Notice the attached figures here - the alignments of these transposable elements just show some wacky patterns.
Paper led by a stellar master student, Robin Aasegg Araya!
tandemly repeated. Notice the attached figures here - the alignments of these transposable elements just show some wacky patterns.
Paper led by a stellar master student, Robin Aasegg Araya!
January 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
Now, what's interesting is how they are present on the the breakpoints:
tandemly repeated. Notice the attached figures here - the alignments of these transposable elements just show some wacky patterns.
Paper led by a stellar master student, Robin Aasegg Araya!
tandemly repeated. Notice the attached figures here - the alignments of these transposable elements just show some wacky patterns.
Paper led by a stellar master student, Robin Aasegg Araya!
We identified and quantified TEs and repeats in breakpoint regions in different inversions in the cod, finding that breakpoints are enriched for the same TE classes.
January 14, 2025 at 12:22 PM
We identified and quantified TEs and repeats in breakpoint regions in different inversions in the cod, finding that breakpoints are enriched for the same TE classes.
Meme of the week
January 7, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Meme of the week
Filip Kolar killing it in one of our departmental seminars. You're consuming polyploids all the time!
November 28, 2024 at 1:05 PM
Filip Kolar killing it in one of our departmental seminars. You're consuming polyploids all the time!
... and found that for larger orders, there are very Scalesia-specific TE clusters when compared to the outgroup.
October 2, 2024 at 9:14 AM
... and found that for larger orders, there are very Scalesia-specific TE clusters when compared to the outgroup.
When clustering TEs and making an upset plot (a Venn diagram), we find that most clusters are present in every species, and a minority is species-specific (Fig 03).
We found little variation in TE counts on the genomes when considering super families (Fig 04).
We found little variation in TE counts on the genomes when considering super families (Fig 04).
October 2, 2024 at 9:13 AM
When clustering TEs and making an upset plot (a Venn diagram), we find that most clusters are present in every species, and a minority is species-specific (Fig 03).
We found little variation in TE counts on the genomes when considering super families (Fig 04).
We found little variation in TE counts on the genomes when considering super families (Fig 04).
When looking at transposable element accumulation through time we find that all - but a single individual - hav esimilar TE accumulation dynamics through time.
TL; DR No variation in time of accumulation
TL; DR No variation in time of accumulation
October 2, 2024 at 9:12 AM
When looking at transposable element accumulation through time we find that all - but a single individual - hav esimilar TE accumulation dynamics through time.
TL; DR No variation in time of accumulation
TL; DR No variation in time of accumulation
We focused on Scalesia, an adaptive radiation on the Galápagos with variation in ecological niches (zones) and soils.
We observe no differences in terms of TE classes when doing comparative phylogenomics.
We observe no differences in terms of TE classes when doing comparative phylogenomics.
October 2, 2024 at 9:12 AM
We focused on Scalesia, an adaptive radiation on the Galápagos with variation in ecological niches (zones) and soils.
We observe no differences in terms of TE classes when doing comparative phylogenomics.
We observe no differences in terms of TE classes when doing comparative phylogenomics.
📰🧬🔛 New pre-print on transposable element (#TEs) evolution, #Galápagos, and #Scalesia.
"Genomic stability in the Galapagos Scalesia adaptive radiation: Consistent transposable element accumulation despite hybridization and ecological niche shifts"
"Genomic stability in the Galapagos Scalesia adaptive radiation: Consistent transposable element accumulation despite hybridization and ecological niche shifts"
October 2, 2024 at 9:11 AM
📰🧬🔛 New pre-print on transposable element (#TEs) evolution, #Galápagos, and #Scalesia.
"Genomic stability in the Galapagos Scalesia adaptive radiation: Consistent transposable element accumulation despite hybridization and ecological niche shifts"
"Genomic stability in the Galapagos Scalesia adaptive radiation: Consistent transposable element accumulation despite hybridization and ecological niche shifts"
📎🎓PhD Research Fellow in Evolutionary Genomics and Island Biology at the Univ of Oslo to work w/ me
All info you need to know is here:
jobbnorge.no/en/available...
Read more about us and what we're doing here islandevolution.github.io
>> Please share << Thank you
All info you need to know is here:
jobbnorge.no/en/available...
Read more about us and what we're doing here islandevolution.github.io
>> Please share << Thank you
September 30, 2024 at 8:42 AM
📎🎓PhD Research Fellow in Evolutionary Genomics and Island Biology at the Univ of Oslo to work w/ me
All info you need to know is here:
jobbnorge.no/en/available...
Read more about us and what we're doing here islandevolution.github.io
>> Please share << Thank you
All info you need to know is here:
jobbnorge.no/en/available...
Read more about us and what we're doing here islandevolution.github.io
>> Please share << Thank you
V happy to announce that the Research Council of Norway has awarded me a 'Young Researcher Talent' grant to work on diversification dynamics and genomics of Galápagos plants.
If you're excited about this, there will be a PhD position out soon.
Here's DALLE's depict of the work
If you're excited about this, there will be a PhD position out soon.
Here's DALLE's depict of the work
September 11, 2024 at 11:34 AM
V happy to announce that the Research Council of Norway has awarded me a 'Young Researcher Talent' grant to work on diversification dynamics and genomics of Galápagos plants.
If you're excited about this, there will be a PhD position out soon.
Here's DALLE's depict of the work
If you're excited about this, there will be a PhD position out soon.
Here's DALLE's depict of the work
No specific accumulation of TEs through time (using genetic divergence as a proxy for time).
June 3, 2024 at 1:55 PM
No specific accumulation of TEs through time (using genetic divergence as a proxy for time).
No specific accumulation of TE families (y-axis) on different species (x-axis).
June 3, 2024 at 1:55 PM
No specific accumulation of TE families (y-axis) on different species (x-axis).