Ecological Genetics Research Unit (EGRU) is a group of people interested on the mechanisms and process of animal adaptation – or lack of it thereof – to local environmental conditions. Population genetics, genomics, phylogeography, evolutionary quantitative genetics and statistical genetics are approaches which characterize a lot of our research. The main model organisms in our research are birds and fishes, but some work is also done with amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
Methods employed in our research include molecular, population and quantitative genetic approaches as well as laboratory and field experiments. Also more theoretical and methodological approaches, such as numerical simulations and development of statistical tools for analyzing inheritance and population differentiation in complex (quantitative) traits belong to our agenda.
Our research is chiefly fundamental science, but some of the projects have strong applied dimensions. These include studies on conservation genetics, human induced evolution due to harvesting and environmental modification as well as studies on the effects of agriculture and pesticides on amphibian populations.
EGRU is part of the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Genetics and Physiology - funded by the Academy of Finland. We are not to be confused with guys here.
