We are examining the role of cannabinoid receptors in adaptation of low resource environments. We have shown that cavefishes naturally up regulate cannabinoid receptors in comparison to their surface ancestors in a comparatively low resource environment.

These are blind weakly electric cavefish have modified their behavior to adapt to group living in extreme darkness. Their closest living ancestors are found in the local rivers, have eyes and display different behaviors.

Here we examine what happens in developmental homeostatic pressures push in the opposite direction as evolutionary adaptation.

Evolutionary-developmental (evo-devo) biologists argue that developmental plasticity plays the pivotal role in evolution and can drive phenotypic change via canalization. We are specially interested in maladaptation of small circuits after early trauma, when things go wrong.

We are part of a cohort of researchers from all over the world that are examining the biology and evolution of a genus of cavefishes in southern China. My focus is to determine alternative sensory strategies and try to figure out what is the horn for!