Alexei Maklakov, Associate Professor

Contact

E-mail
Alexei.Maklakov[AT]ebc.uu.se

Address
Animal Ecology
Department of Ecology and Evolution
Evolutionary Biology Centre
Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36
Uppsala, Sweden

Telefon
+46 (0)18 471 2702

Telefax
+46 (0)18 471 6484
 

Research:

My research interests can be defined as evolutionary biology. More specifically, I am interested in the evolution of life histories, conflicts between the sexes, consequences of inbreeding and social behaviour. My study subjects come from many different taxa such as birds, spiders, beetles, fruit flies and humans, since my research is generally driven by the question rather than by the organism.

The main focus of my current research is the evolutionary theory of ageing, which is a fundamental and, as yet, unresolved issue in biology. I pursue this line of research both on an empirical and theoretical level. I am very interested in i) the evolution of sex differences in lifespan and ageing; and ii) the role of extrinsic mortality in the evolution of ageing.

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Lab news:

ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grant 2010 came through!!! This funding will enable us to address the sex differences in the evolution of reproductive, demographic and functional senescence!

Ageing Research Group (ARG) web site is operating. Check for updates on Journal Club and Join the Group.

Björn Rogell has joined the lab as ERC-funded postdoc. Björn will be conducting genome-wide analysis of experimentally evolved populations of C. remanei nematodes subjected to different life-history regimes. This project is in collaboration with Hwei-yen Chen.

We will have three new people joining the lab in January 2012: William Widegren is starting his MSc project on intra-locus sexual conflict over lifespan in seed beetles, Martyna Zwoinska is starting a PhD project on sex differences in age-specific learning and memory in nematodes and David Berger (in collaboration with Goran Arnqvist) will be conducting his postdoctoral research on sex-specific selection and metabolism in seed beetles.

Foteini Spagopoulou joined the lab in February 2012 as MSc student via MEME program. Foteini will work on the evolution of male reproductive ageing in response to selection under differential extrinsic mortality in nematodes.

Martin Lind will be joining the lab as EBC-funded postdoctoral fellow in September 2012. Martin is interested in using seed beetles as a model system to look at the evolution of G-matrix.

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5 selected recent publications:

Maklakov AA,Cayetano L, Brooks, R. C. & Bonduriansky R (2010) The roles of life-history selection and sexual selection in the adaptive evolution of mating behaviour in a beetle. Evolution 64:1273–1282

Maklakov AA & Arnqvist, G. (2009) Testing for direct and indirect effects of mate choice by manipulating female choosiness. Current Biology 19, 1903-1906

Maklakov AA, Bonduriansky R & Brooks, R. S. (2009) Sex differences, sexual selection and ageing: an experimental evolution approach. Evolution 63, 2491-2503

Maklakov AA, Hall MD, Simpson SJ, Dessmann J, Clissold, F, Zajitschek F, Lailvaux SP, Raubenhimer D, Bonduriansky R, Brooks RC. (2009) Sex differences in nutrient-dependent reproductive ageing. Aging Cell 8:324-330

Maklakov AA, Simpson SJ, Dessmann J, Clissold, F, Hall MD, Zajitschek F, Raubenhimer D, Bonduriansky R, Brooks RC. (2008) Sex-specific fitness effects of nutrient intake on reproduction and lifespan. Current Biology 18:1062-1066

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Lab members:

Björn Rogell (ERC-funded postdoc): Genomic study of ageing following experimental life-history evolution

David Berger (returning VR postdoc, co-hosted with Göran Arnqvist): G-matrix evolution in response to selection

Felix Zajitschek (Wenner-Gren postdoctoral fellow): Nutritional stress and the evolution of ageing

Elena Berg (Carl Tryggers postdoctoral fellow): Intra-locus conflict, stress and ageing

Martyna Zwoinska (ERC-funded PhD student): Sex differences in cognitive ageing

Hwei-yen Chen (PhD student): The roles of sex-specific selection and condition-dependence in the evolution of ageing

Jin Tuo (MSc student): Nutrition effects on late-life mortality plateaus

William Widegren (MSc student): Intra-locus sexual conflict over lifespan

Foteini Spagopoulou (MSc student): Evolution of male reproductive ageing under differential extrinsic mortality

Cindy Canton (RA): Drosophila lab

Ghazal Alavioon (RA): Beetle lab

 

 

Alumni:

Bahareh Zaferani (MSc student, 2011): Evolution of male mating success during local adaptation in seed beetles

Cosima Hotzy (Research Assistant, 2011): Nematode and beetle lab; Cosima is now a PhD student in Simone Immler's lab at EBC.

Henrik Lysell (Research Assistant, 2011): Drosophila lab

Lorraine Burgevin (MSc student, 2011): Intra-locus sexual conflict and the evolution of same-sex behaviour in the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. Lorraine is now conducting her next internship in France.

Katja Temnow (Research Assistant, 2010): Katja helped with our nematode project and since then moved to work on leaves at SLU.

Ilona Flis (Research Assistant, 2010): Ilona worked with Urban Friberg and myself on male harassment and mutation rates in Drosophila.

William Widegren (Research Trainee, 2010): Correlated evolution of sex-specific lifespan and mortality rates during adaptation to stressful environments in seed beetles. William is now conducting MSc project in my lab.

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Potential MSc projects:

1. The evolution of life-history and behavioural traits under different mortality rates in experimentally evolving populations of outcrossing nematode Caenorhabditis remanei
2. I will be happy to supervise any scientifically exciting MSc project that you come up with that falls broadly within my research interests (see above but also check my list of collaborations for some examples!).

 

Post-doctoral opportunities:
There are several Swedish (e.g. VR, Wenner-Gren, Swedish Institute, Carl Tryggers) and international (e.g. Marie-Curie, Human Frontiers) funding bodies that can provide fellowships for young researchers who wish to conduct a post-doc in Sweden. Some of these rely on Sweden-based PI to submit an application; others require a perspective post doc to submit one. Drop me a line if you are thinking about applying and your research interests are broadly similar to mine (also check my current collaborations below).

Evolutionary Biology Centre in Uppsala University is probably the largest conglomeration of evolutionary biologists in Europe, situated in a largely ‘student ‘ town (there is also another university, SLU) - therefore, it provides a multitude of opportunities for collaboration as well as socializing.

 

Current and past collaborations:

Condition-dependent mortality and male reproductive ageing:
Russell Bonduriansky, UNSW, Australia

Sex-specific effects of diet on reproduction and lifespan:
Rob Brooks & Russell Bonduriansky, UNSW, Australia

Inbreeding and sex differences in lifespan:
Trine Bilde, University of Århus, Denmark & Urban Friberg, UU

Costs and benefits of female resistance:
Göran Arnqvist, UU

Ecology and mating behaviour of group-living spiders:
Yael Lubin, Ben-Gurion University, Israel

mtDNA variation and ageing:
Damian Dowling, Monash University, Australia

Brain size in avian ecology and evolution:
Niclas Kolm & Simone Immler, UU; Johanna Liljestrand Rönn, Stockholm University & Alejandro Gonzalez Voyer, Estación Biológica de Doñana (CSIC), Spain

Sex differences in ageing in a wild bird:
Celine Teplitsky, CNRS, National Museum of Natural History, France

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Some pictures of current and previous study animals:

 

Mating in the seed beetle Callosobruchus maculatus.
Photo: © Power & Syred

 

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Male-male mounting in the seed beetle Acanthoscelides obtectus.
Photo: Alexei Maklakov

 

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Dreamy mating in Drosophila melanogaster.
Photo: Courtesy of Rebecca Dean

 

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Copulation at the nest entrance in the 'family' spider Stegodyphus lineatus.
Male is underneath. Photo: Trine Bilde

 

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Arabian babbler Turdoides squamiceps. The sentinel female.
Photo: Vladimir Khazin

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Publications

37. Cayetano L, Maklakov AA, Brooks RC and Bonduriansky R. 2011. Evolution of male and female genitalia following release from sexual selection. Evolution 65: 2171-2183.

36. Alexei A. Maklakov, Simone Immler, Alejandro Gonzalez-Voyer, Johanna Rönn and Niclas Kolm. 2011. Brains and the city: big brained passerine birds succeed in urban environments. Biology Letters 7: 730-732. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2011.0341

35. Robert Brooks, Isabel M. Scott, Alexei A. Maklakov, Michael M. Kasumovic, Andrew P. Clark, and Ian S. Penton-Voak. 2011. National income inequality predicts women's preferences for masculinized faces better than health does.  Proc R Soc B 278: 810-812

34. Maklakov AA, Cayetano L, Brooks, R. S. & Bonduriansky R. 2010. The roles of life-history selection and sexual selection in the adaptive evolution of mating behaviour in a beetle. Evolution 64, 1273-1282.

33. Brooks, RS & Maklakov, AA. 2010. Sex differences in obesity associated with total fertility rate. Public Library of Science One 5, e10587.

32. Maklakov, AA & Arnqvist, G. 2009. Testing for direct and indirect effects of mate choice by manipulating female choosiness. Current Biology 19, 1903-1906.

31. Maklakov AA, Bonduriansky R & Brooks, R. S. 2009. Sex differences, sexual selection and ageing: an experimental evolution approach. Evolution 63, 2491-2503.

30. Maklakov AA & Fricke C. 2009. Sexual selection did not contribute to the evolution of male lifespan in populations selected for early age at reproduction in a beetle. Ecological Entomology 34, 638-643.

29. Maklakov AA, Hall MD, Simpson SJ, Dessmann J, Clissold, F, Zajitschek F, Lailvaux SP, Raubenhimer D, Bonduriansky R & Brooks RC. 2009. Sex differences in nutrient-dependent reproductive ageing. Aging Cell 8, 324-330.

28. Maklakov AA & Bonduriansky R. 2009. Sex differences in survival costs of homosexual and heterosexual interactions: evidence from a fly and a beetle. Animal Behaviour 77, 1375-1379.

27. Dowling D, Maklakov AA, Friberg U & Hailer F. 2009. Applying the genetic theories of ageing to the cytoplasm: cytoplasmic genetic covariation for fitness and lifespan. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 22, 818-827.

26. Bilde T, Maklakov AA, Meisner K, la Guardia L & Friberg U. 2009. Sex differences in the genetic architecture of lifespan in a seed beetle: extreme inbreeding extends male lifespan. BMC Evolutionary Biology 9, 33.

25. Maklakov AA, Simpson SJ, Dessmann J, Clissold, F, Hall MD, Zajitschek F, Raubenhimer D, Bonduriansky R, Brooks RC. 2008. Sex-specific fitness effects of nutrient intake on reproduction and lifespan. Current Biology 18, 1062-1066.

24. Maklakov AA. 2008. Sex differences in lifespan affected by female birth rate in modern humans. Evolution and Human Behaviour 29, 444-449.

23. Bonduriansky R, Maklakov A, Zajitscheck F, Brooks R. 2008. Sexual selection, sexual conflict and the evolution of lifespan and ageing. Functional Ecology 22, 443-453.

22. Bilde T, Friberg U, Maklakov AA, Fry J & Arnqvist G. 2008. The genetic architecture of fitness in a seed beetle: assessing the potential for indirect genetic benefits of female choice. BMC Evolutionary Biology 8, 295.

21. Maklakov AA, Kremer N, Arnqvist G. 2007. The effects of age at mating on female life-history traits in a seed beetle. Behavioral Ecology 18, 551-555.

20. Bilde, T., K. Coates, K. Birkhofer, T. Bird, A. Maklakov, Y. Lubin & L. Avilés. 2007. Survival benefits select for group living despite reproductive costs in a social spider. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20, 2412-2426.

19. Bilde, T., A. Maklakov, N. Schilling. 2007. Inbreeding avoidance in spiders: evidence for rescue effect in fecundity of females with outbreeding opportunity. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20, 1237-1242.

18. Fricke C & Maklakov AA. 2007. Male age does not affect female fitness in a polyandrous beetle, Callosobruchus maculates. Animal Behaviour 74, 541-548.

17. Maklakov, AA, Fricke, C, Arnqvist, G. 2007. Sexual selection affects lifespan and aging in the seed beetle. Aging Cell 6, 739-744.

16. Maklakov AA, Friberg U, Dowling D & Arnqvist G. 2006. Within-population variation in cytoplasmic genes affects female lifespan and ageing in Drosophila melanogaster. Evolution 60, 2081-2086.

15. Maklakov AA & Lubin Y. 2006. Indirect genetic benefits in a spider with direct costs of mating. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 61, 31-38. DOI: 10.1007/s00265-006-0234-9

14. Maklakov, A.A., Bilde, T. & Lubin, Y. 2006. Inter-sexual combat and resource allocation into body parts in the spider, Stegodyphus lineatus. Ecological Entomology 31, 564-567.

13. Alexei A. Maklakov, Natacha Kremer, Göran Arnqvist. 2006. Ageing and the evolution of female resistance to remating in seed beetles. Biology Letters 2, 62-64. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2005.0398

12. Alexei A. Maklakov, Natacha Kremer, Göran Arnqvist. 2005. Adaptive male effects on female ageing in seed beetles. Proceedings of the Royal Society series B 272, 2485 - 248. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3240

11. Maklakov, A.A., Bilde, T. and Lubin, Y. 2005. Sexual conflict in the wild: elevated mating rate reduces female lifetime reproductive success. American Naturalist 165, S38-S45.

10. Bilde, T., Lubin, Y., Smith, D., Schneider, J. and Maklakov, A.A. 2005. The transition to social inbred mating systems in spiders – role of inbreeding tolerance in a subsocial predecessor. Evolution 59, 160-174.

9. Maklakov, A.A. and Lubin, Y. 2004. Sexual conflict over mating in a spider: increased fecundity does not compensate for the costs of polyandry. Evolution 58, 1135-1140.

8. Maklakov, A.A., Bilde, T. and Lubin, Y. 2004. Sexual selection for increased male body size and protandry in a web-building spider. Animal Behaviour 68, 1041-1048.

7. Segoli, M., Maklakov, A.A., Gavish, E., Tsurim, I. and Lubin, Y. 2004. The effect of previous foraging success on web-building behavior in the sheet-web spider, Frontinella cf. frutetorum (Aranea: Linphynidae). Ethology, Ecology and Evolution 16, 291-298.

6. Maklakov, A.A., Bilde, T. and Lubin, Y. 2003. Vibratory courtship in a web-building spider: signaling quality or stimulating the female? Animal Behaviour 66, 623-630.

5. Bilde, T., Maklakov, A.A., Taylor, P. and Lubin, Y. 2002. State-dependent decisions in nest site selection by a web-building spider. Animal Behaviour 64, 447-452.

4. Maklakov, A.A. 2002. Snake-directed mobbing in a cooperative breeder: anti-predator behaviour or self-advertisement for the formation of dispersal coalitions? Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 52, 372-378.

3. Wright, J., Berg, E., de Kort, S., Khazin, V. and Maklakov, A.A. 2001. Cooperative sentinel behaviour in the Arabian babbler. Animal Behaviour 62, 973-979.

2. Wright, J., Maklakov, A.A. and Khazin, V. 2001. State-dependent sentinels: an experimental study in the Arabian babbler. Proceedings of the Royal Society series B 268, 821-826.

1. Wright, J., Berg, E., de Kort, S., Khazin, V. and Maklakov, A.A. 2001. Safe selfish sentinels in a cooperative bird. Journal of Animal Ecology 70, 1070-1079.