Dr Jack Da Silva
Senior Lecturer
School of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.
My research and teaching are focused on evolutionary genetics. Current topics of interest are:
Evolution of Body Size (life history)
Evolution of Sexes (anisogamy)
Evolution of Aging (senescence)
Evolution of Altruism (eusociality)
I approach these problems with a combination of phylogenetic comparative analyses and computer simulation. Please see my publications for recent examples.
Current projects include:
1. Life history optimisation and the evolution of body size in mammals. A combination of life history modelling and phylogenetic comparative analysis are used to test theories of how body size evolves in mammals.
2. Ancient dog breeds and an evolutionary lag in cancer suppression. The shorter life spans of larger dog breeds may be due to their greater cancer burdens. This hypothesis predicts that ancient breeds have evolved better cancer suppression and therefore longer lifespans and smaller litter sizes than modern breeds.
3. Monogamy and the evolution of eusociality in bees. The evolution of sterile workers in social insects by kin selection is hypothesised to require long term monogamy so that the genetic relatedness between workers and reproductives is maximal. This hypothesis is being tested by estimating evolutionary transition rates between mating systems, colony structures, and worker sterility using a recent large phylogeny of bees.
All projects are available for honours, masters, and doctorate study.
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2003 - ongoing Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 1986 - 1989 University of Oxford United Kingdom DPhil -
Postgraduate Training
Date Title Institution Country 1990 - 1992 NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow McGill University, Montreal Canada -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2024 da Silva, J. (2024). Eusocial workers must evolve before maternal control.. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 121(52), e2422269121.
Scopus1 Europe PMC12023 da Silva, J. (2023). The kin selection theory of genomic imprinting and modes of reproduction in the eusocial Hymenoptera. Biological Reviews, 98(2), 677-695.
Scopus1 Europe PMC12023 Silva, J. D., & Cross, B. J. (2023). Dog Lifespans and the Evolution of Ageing. The American Naturalist, 201(6), E140-E152.
Scopus5 WoS1 Europe PMC42022 da Silva, J. (2022). The Extension of Foundress Life Span and the Evolution of Eusociality in the Hymenoptera. American Naturalist, 199(4), E140-E155.
Scopus4 Europe PMC62022 Da Silva, J. (2022). Gene dynamics of haplodiploidy favour eusociality in the Hymenoptera. Evolution, 76(7), 1546-1555.
Scopus3 WoS1 Europe PMC32021 da Silva, J. (2021). Life History and the Transitions to Eusociality in the Hymenoptera. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9, 20 pages.
Scopus22 WoS62020 da Silva, J. (2020). Williams’ Intuition about Extrinsic Mortality Was Correct. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 35(5), 378-379.
Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC22019 da Silva, J. (2019). Plastic senescence in the honey bee and the disposable soma theory. The American Naturalist, 194(3), 367-380.
Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC32019 da Silva, J. (2019). Correction: Plastic senescence in the honeybee and the disposable soma theory (American Naturalist, 194, 3, (2019), (367-380), 10.1086/704220). American Naturalist, 194(6), 881-884.
2018 da Silva, J. (2018). The evolution of sexes: A specific test of the disruptive selection theory. Ecology and Evolution, 8(1), 207-219.
Scopus12 WoS10 Europe PMC72018 da Silva, J. (2018). Reports of the Death of Extrinsic Mortality Moulding Senescence Have Been Greatly Exaggerated. Evolutionary Biology, 45(2), 140-143.
Scopus6 WoS52018 Da Silva, J., & Drysdale, V. (2018). Isogamy in large and complex volvocine algae is consistent with the gamete competition theory of the evolution of anisogamy. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285(1890), 6 pages.
Scopus9 WoS7 Europe PMC72017 da Silva, J., & Galbraith, J. (2017). Hill-Robertson interference maintained by Red Queen dynamics favours the evolution of sex. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 30(5), 994-1010.
Scopus8 WoS7 Europe PMC72014 Da Silva, J., & Wyatt, S. (2014). Fitness valleys constrain HIV-1's adaptation to its secondary chemokine coreceptor. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 27(3), 604-615.
Scopus9 WoS10 Europe PMC112012 Da Silva, J. (2012). Antibody selection and amino acid reversions. Evolution, 66(10), 3079-3087.
WoS1 Europe PMC22012 Da Silva, J. (2012). BRCA1/2 mutations, fertility and the grandmother effect. Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences, 279(1740), 2926-2929.
Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC52012 Da Silva, J. (2012). The dynamics of HIV-1 adaptation in early infection. Genetics, 190(3), 1087-1099.
Scopus14 WoS14 Europe PMC132010 Da Silva, J., Coetzer, M., Nedellec, R., Pastore, C., & Mosier, D. (2010). Fitness epistasis and constraints on adaptation in a human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 protein region. Genetics, 185(1), 293-303.
Scopus101 WoS100 Europe PMC1092010 Da Silva, J. (2010). An adaptive walk by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 through a fluctuating fitness landscape. Evolution, 64(4), 1160-1165.
Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC22009 Da Silva, J. (2009). Amino acid covariation in a functionally important human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protein region is associated with population subdivision. Genetics, 182(1), 265-275.
Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC32009 Summers, K., Roney, K., Da Silva, J., Capraro, G., Cuthbertson, B., Kazianis, S., . . . McConnell, T. (2009). Divergent patterns of selection on the DAB and DXB MHC class II loci in Xiphophorus fishes. Genetica, 135(3), 379-390.
Scopus6 WoS7 Europe PMC62006 Da Silva, J. (2006). Site-specific amino acid frequency, fitness and the mutational landscape model of adaptation in human immunodeficiency virus type 1. Genetics, 174(3), 1689-1694.
Scopus11 WoS10 Europe PMC102003 Da Silva, J. (2003). The evolutionary adaptation of HIV-1 to specific immunity. Current HIV Research, 1(3), 363-371.
Scopus21 WoS21 Europe PMC172002 Summers, K., Da Silva, J., & Farwell, M. (2002). Intragenomic conflict and cancer. Medical Hypotheses, 59(2), 170-179.
Scopus19 WoS19 Europe PMC172002 Burke Da Silva, K., Mahan, C., & Da Silva, J. (2002). The Trill of the Chase: Eastern Chipmunks call to warn kin. Journal of Mammalogy, 83(2), 546-552.
Scopus18 WoS142001 Hughes, A., Westover, K., Da Silva, J., O'Connor, D., & Watkins, D. (2001). Simultaneous positive and purifying selection on overlapping reading frames of the tat and vpr genes of Simian Immunodeficiency Virus. Journal of Virology, 75(17), 7966-7972.
Scopus61 WoS63 Europe PMC562001 Ferguson, M., Maxwell, J., Vincent, T., Da Silva, J., & Olson, J. (2001). Comparison of the exoS gene and protein expression in soil and clinical isolates of pseudomonas aeruginosa. Infection and Immunity, 69(4), 2198-2210.
Scopus40 WoS40 Europe PMC302001 Hughes, A., Da Silva, J., & Friedman, R. (2001). Ancient genome duplications did not structure the human Hox-bearing chromosomes. Genome Research, 11(5), 771-780.
Scopus104 WoS93 Europe PMC841999 Evans, D. T., O'Connor, D. H., Jing, P., Dzuris, J. L., Sidney, J., Da Silva, J., . . . Watkins, D. I. (1999). Virus-specific cytotoxic T-lymphocyte responses select for amino-acid variation in simian immunodeficiency virus Env and Nef. Nature Medicine, 5(11), 1270-1276.
Scopus366 WoS339 Europe PMC2871999 Gardezi, T., & Da Silva, J. (1999). Diversity in relation to body size in mammals: A comparative study. American Naturalist, 153(1), 110-123.
Scopus95 WoS88 Europe PMC301999 Da Silva, J., & Hughes, A. L. (1999). Molecular phylogenetic evidence of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) selection on human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) [4]. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 16(10), 1420-1422.
Scopus9 WoS8 Europe PMC61998 Da Silva, J., & Hughes, A. L. (1998). Conservation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) epitopes as a host strategy to constrain parasite adaptation: Evidence from the nef gene of human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1). Molecular Biology and Evolution, 15(10), 1259-1268.
Scopus22 WoS23 Europe PMC191996 Da Silva, J., & Bell, G. (1996). The ecology and genetics of fitness in Chlamydomonas. VII. The effect of sex on the variance in fitness and mean fitness. Evolution, 50(4), 1705-1713.
Scopus14 Europe PMC21996 DaSilva, J., & Bell, G. (1996). The ecology and genetics of fitness in Chlamydomonas .7. The effect of sex on the variance in fitness and mean fitness. EVOLUTION, 50(4), 1705-1713.
WoS13 Europe PMC41995 Woodroffe, R., Macdonald, D. W., & da Silva, J. (1995). Dispersal and philopatry in the European badger, Meles meles. Journal of Zoology, 237(2), 227-239.
Scopus123 WoS1051994 DASILVA, J., MACDONALD, D. W., & EVANS, P. G. H. (1994). NET COSTS OF GROUP LIVING IN A SOLITARY FORAGER, THE EURASIAN BADGER (MELES-MELES). BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, 5(2), 151-158.
WoS711994 Zeyl, C., Bell, G., & da Silva, J. (1994). Transposon abundance in sexual and asexual populations of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. Evolution, 48(4), 1406-1409.
Scopus11 Europe PMC41993 da Silva, J., Woodroffe, R., & Macdonald, D. W. (1993). Habitat, food availability and group territoriality in the European badger, Meles meles. Oecologia, 95(4), 558-564.
Scopus108 WoS103 Europe PMC231992 da Silva, J., Bell, G., & Burt, A. (1992). Sources of variance in protein heterozygosity: the importance of the species-protein interaction.. Heredity, 68(3), 241-252.
Scopus3 WoS7 Europe PMC31992 Da Silva, J., & Bell, G. (1992). The ecology and genetics of fitness in Chlamydomonas VI. Antagonism between natural selection and sexual selection. Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, 249(1326), 227-233.
Scopus18 WoS151991 Da Silva, J., Winquist, S. T., Weary, D. M., Inman, A. J., Mountjoy, D. J., Krebs, E. A., & Basolo, A. L. (1991). Male swords and female preferences. Science, 253(5026), 1426-1427.
Scopus31 WoS7 Europe PMC31988 da Silva, J., & Terhune, J. M. (1988). Harbour seal grouping as an anti-predator strategy. Animal Behaviour, 36(5), 1309-1316.
Scopus55 WoS491986 DASILVA, J., CAMERON, J. L., & FANKBONER, P. V. (1986). MOVEMENT AND ORIENTATION PATTERNS IN THE COMMERCIAL SEA-CUCUMBER PARASTICHOPUS-CALIFORNICUS (STIMPSON) (HOLOTHUROIDEA, ASPIDOCHRITIDA). MARINE BEHAVIOUR AND PHYSIOLOGY, 12(2), 133-147.
WoS371985 DASILVA, J., & NEILSON, J. D. (1985). LIMITATIONS OF USING OTOLITHS RECOVERED IN SCATS TO ESTIMATE PREY CONSUMPTION IN SEALS. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FISHERIES AND AQUATIC SCIENCES, 42(8), 1439-1446.
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Book Chapters
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Conference Papers
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Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name 2009 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Chloroplast DNAs Diversify Nuclear and Mitochondrial Genomes in Plants Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Dong Wang 2008 - 2013 Co-Supervisor Comprehensive Identification and Annotation of Non-Protein-Coding Transcriptomes from Vertebrates Indicates Most ncRNAs are Regulatory Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Dr Zhipeng Qu
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