Miguel Jorge Pinto Carneiro

Broadly, I am interested in all aspects of population genetics and molecular evolution. At present, my research interests focus on all the evolutionary mechanisms observed in hybrid zones. Another area of interest focuses on how selection shapes genetic diversity in natural populations and on the detection of its footprints observed in patterns of DNA sequence variation. 

For my PhD, I did a large-scale multi-locus DNA sequence study to investigate the divergence population genetics of two European rabbit subspecies (Oryctolagus cuniculus). This study provided a unique opportunity to address unresolved questions that include i) how and when rabbit subspecies diverged, ii) the dynamics of admixture after secondary contact and the distinction between shared ancestral polymorphism or recent introgression, and iii) the identification of chromosomal regions that may harbour genes under selection, possibly involved in the initial stages of reproductive isolation. 

Currently, I am working with state-of-the-art genetics and genomics tools, aiming to harness their potential in advancing our knowledge about key mechanisms that can help us solve major challenges in biology, including domestication, speciation and species adaptation.