Comparative genomic analyses of vertebrate non-coding regions to study convergence of limbless-ness in snakes and caecilia.

The project has altered based on some preliminary results obtained in my research lab past year. We had initially planned to look at gene fusions but have made significant progress on that front and to incorporate more of Jordan's interests we have moved on now to examine the non-protein coding elements of genome evolution on vertebrates. In this project we will determine if changes in otherwise conserved non-coding elements are shared between snakes and caeclia and how this may impact upon their shared morphology.