Sarah Otto
Professor,University of British Columbia
Department of Zoology
E-mail: otto@zoology.ubc.ca
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ResearchThe motivating aim of my research is to understand how evolutionary processes have generated the wondrous diversity of biological features observed in the natural world. Why is it that some species reproduce asexually, while most reproduce sexually? Why do some organisms have large genomes while closely related species have small ones? Why do some species choose to mate with very similar partners, while others avoid them? These are some of the fundamental questions that my research has aimed to resolve, using a combination of mathematical theory, statistical inference, and evolutionary experiments.Examples of species studiedCrassostrea gigas Publications37- Planting long-lived trees in a warming climate: Theory shows the importance of stage-dependent climatic tolerance Journal Article Erlichman A , Sandell L , Otto S P , Aitken S N , Ronce O , 2024 Evolutionary Applications (Date Added: 2024-06-24) 36- Endemic does not mean constant as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve Journal Article Otto S P , MacPherson A , Colijn C , 2024 Evolution (Date Added: 2024-06-08) 35- Endemic does not mean constant as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve Journal Article Otto S P , MacPherson A , Colijn C , 2024 Evolution (Date Added: 2024-06-08) 34- Endemic does not mean constant as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve Journal Article Otto S P , MacPherson A , Colijn C , 2024 Evolution (Date Added: 2024-06-08) 33- Endemic does not mean constant as SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve Journal Article Otto S P , MacPherson A , Colijn C , 2024 Evolution (Date Added: 2024-06-08) 32- Modelling daisy quorum drive: A short-term bridge across engineered fitness valleys Journal Article de Haas F J H , Kläy L , Débarre F , Otto S P , 2024 PLoS Genetics (Date Added: 2024-05-25) 31- Corrigendum to “Fixation and effective size in a haploid–diploid population with asexual reproduction” [Theoretical Population Biology 143 (2022) 30–45, (S0040580921000769), (10.1016/j.tpb.2021.11.002)] Journal Erratum Bessho K , Otto S P , 2024 Theoretical Population Biology (Date Added: 2024-05-08) 30- The prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiome of Pacific oyster spat is shaped by ocean warming but not acidification Journal Article Zhong K X , Chan A M , Collicutt B , Daspe M , Finke J F , Foss M , Green T J , Harley C D G , Hesketh A V , Miller K M , Otto S P , Rolheiser K , Saunders R , Sutherland B J G , Suttle C A , 2024 Applied and Environmental Microbiology (Date Added: 2024-04-26) 29- When and how can we predict adaptive responses to climate change? Journal Article Urban M C , Swaegers J , Stoks R , Snook R R , Otto S P , Noble D W A , Moiron M , Hällfors M H , Gómez-Llano M , Fior S , Cote J , Charmantier A , Bestion E , Berger D , Baur J , Alexander J M , Saastamoinen M , Edelsparre A H , Teplitsky C , 2024 Evolution Letters (Date Added: 2024-03-01) 28- On the fast track: hybrids adapt more rapidly than parental populations in a novel environment Journal Article Kulmuni J , Wiley B , Otto S P , 2024 Evolution Letters (Date Added: 2024-03-01) 27- Density-Dependent Selection during Range Expansion Affects Expansion Load in Life History Traits Journal Article Urquhart-Cronish M , Angert A L , Otto S P , MacPherson A , 2024 The American naturalist (Date Added: 2024-02-26) 26- Effective pandemic policy design through feedback does not need accurate predictions Journal Article van Heusden K , Stewart G E , Otto S P , Dumont G A , 2023 PLOS Global Public Health (Date Added: 2024-06-13) 25- Conceptual and empirical bridges between micro- and macroevolution Journal Article Rolland J , Henao-Diaz L F , Doebeli M , Germain R , Harmon L J , Knowles L L , Liow L H , Mank J E , Machac A , Otto S P , Pennell M , Salamin N , Silvestro D , Sugawara M , Uyeda J , Wagner C E , Schluter D , 2023 Nature Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2023-07-22) 24- Braiding Indigenous rights and endangered species law Journal Article Lamb C T , Willson R , Menzies A K , Owens-Beek N , Price M , McNay S , Otto S P , Hessami M , Popp J N , Hebblewhite M , Ford A T , 2023 Science (New York, N.Y.) (Date Added: 2023-07-04) 23- Trait-dependent diversification in angiosperms: Patterns, models and data Journal Article Helmstetter A J , Zenil‐Ferguson R , Sauquet H , Otto S P , Méndez M , Vallejo‐Marin M , Schönenberger J , Burgarella C , Anderson B , de Boer H , Glémin S , Käfer J , 2023 Ecology Letters (Date Added: 2023-07-04) 22- Opposing effects of plant traits on diversification Journal Article Anderson B , Pannell J , Billiard S , Burgarella C , de Boer H , Dufay M , Helmstetter A J , Méndez M , Otto S P , Roze D , Sauquet H , Schoen D , Schönenberger J , Vallejo-Marin M , Zenil-Ferguson R , Käfer J , Glémin S , 2023 iScience (Date Added: 2023-04-03) 21- Rapid weed adaptation and range expansion in response to agriculture over the past two centuries Journal Article Kreiner J M , Latorre S M , Burbano H A , Stinchcombe J R , Otto S P , Weigel D , Wright S I , 2022 Science (Date Added: 2023-07-04) 20- The phoenix hypothesis of speciation Journal Article Yamaguchi R , Wiley B , Otto S P , 2022 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2022-11-27) 19- The best of both worlds: Combining population genetic and quantitative genetic models Journal Article Dekens L , Otto S , Calvez V , 2022 Theoretical Population Biology (Date Added: 2022-11-21) 18- Unbalanced selection: The challenge of maintaining a social polymorphism when a supergene is selfish Journal Article Tafreshi A G , Otto S P , Chapuisat M , 2022 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2022-07-12) 17- Parental Population Range Expansion before Secondary Contact Promotes Heterosis Journal Article MacPherson A , Wang S , Yamaguchi R , Rieseberg L H , Otto S P , 2022 American Naturalist (Date Added: 2022-06-08) 16- Savannas are vital but overlooked carbon sinks Journal Article Dobson A , Hopcraft G , Mduma S , Ogutu J O , Fryxell J , Anderson T M , Archibald S , Lehmann C , Poole J , Caro T , Mulder M B , Holt R D , Berger J , Rubenstein D I , Kahumbu P , Chidumayo E N , Milner-Gulland E J , Schluter D , Otto S , Balmford A , Wilcove D , Pimm S , Veldma J , Olff H , Noss R , Holdo R , Beale C , Hempson G , Kiwango Y , Lindenmayer D , Bond W , Ritchie M , Sinclair A R E , 2022 Science (Date Added: 2022-03-20) 15- Fixation and effective size in a haploid–diploid population with asexual reproduction Journal Article Bessho K , Otto S P , 2022 Theoretical Population Biology (Date Added: 2022-01-04) 14- Fundamental limitations of contact tracing for COVID-19 Journal Article Tupper P , Otto S P , Colijn C , 2021 Facets (Date Added: 2022-03-20) 13- The virus evolves: Four public health priorities for reducing the evolutionary potential of SARS-CoV-2 Journal Article Fitzpatrick C L , Alter S E , Boughman J W , Débarre F , Edmands S , Moehring A , Moyle L , Otto S P , Ronce O , Rubin M J , Sweigart A L , 2021 BioScience (Date Added: 2022-03-20) 12- An Empiricist’s Guide to Using Ecological Theory Journal Article Grainger, TN, Senthilnathan, A, Ke, P-J, Barbour, MA, Jones, NT, Delong, JP, Otto, SP, O’connor, MI, Coblentz, KE, Goel, N, Sakarchi, J, Szojka, MC, Levine, JM, Germain, RM 2021 American Naturalist (Date Added: 2021-12-12) 11- The origins and potential future of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in the evolving COVID-19 pandemic Journal Article Otto S P , Day T , Arino J , Colijn C , Dushoff J , Li M , Mechai S , Van Domselaar G , Wu J , Earn D J , Ogden N H , 2021 Current Biology (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 10- Evolution of plasticity in production and transgenerational inheritance of small RNAs under dynamic environmental conditions Journal Article Silva W T A F , Otto S P , Immler S , 2021 PLoS Genetics (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 9- Feedback between coevolution and epidemiology can help or hinder the maintenance of genetic variation in host-parasite models Journal Article MacPherson A , Keeling M J , Otto S P , 2021 Evolution (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 8- Selective Interference and the Evolution of Sex Journal Article Otto S P , 2021 The Journal of heredity (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 7- Coevolution fails to maintain genetic variation in a host–parasite model with constant finite population size Journal Article MacPherson A , Keeling M J , Otto S P , 2021 Theoretical Population Biology (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 6- On the Origin of Coexisting Species Journal Article Germain R M , Hart S P , Turcotte M M , Otto S P , Sakarchi J , Rolland J , Usui T , Angert A L , Schluter D , Bassar R D , Waters M T , Henao-Diaz F , Siepielski A M , 2021 Trends in Ecology and Evolution (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 5- On the evolutionary epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 Journal Article Day T , Gandon S , Lion S , Otto S P , 2020 Current Biology (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 4- Relative genomic impacts of translocation history, hatchery practices, and farm selection in Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas throughout the Northern Hemisphere Journal Article Sutherland B J G , Rycroft C , Ferchaud A , Saunders R , Li L , Liu S , Chan A M , Otto S P , Suttle C A , Miller K M , 2020 Evolutionary Applications (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 3- Genetic paths to evolutionary rescue and the distribution of fitness effects along them Journal Article Osmond M M , Otto S P , Martin G , 2020 Genetics (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 2- Theory in service of narratives in evolution and ecology Journal Article Otto S P , Rosales A , 2020 American Naturalist (Date Added: 2021-11-05) 1- TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access Journal Article , 2020 Global Change Biology (Date Added: 2020-11-30) |
