Dr. Andrew Foote

Visiting scholar

Research interests

I am an evolutionary ecologist with a particular interest in adaptation and speciation. Using a multi-disciplinary approach that combines ancient DNA, genomics, stable isotopes and behavioural studies I have investigated these process in the killer whale, which has radiated into different forms and ecotypes.

My interests have become increasingly focused on molecular approaches to investigating evolutionary histories. A key focus is integrate paleo- and modern genomics datasets to utilise methods for anaylsing time series data and better infer the dynamics of shifts in allele frequencies due to interacting demographic and adaptive processes. Whilst the main study system remains the killer whale ecotypes, I am also collaborating on projects on bottlenose dolphins and bowhead whales and hope to further apply these approaches to more model systems including threespine stickleback forms.

Curriculum vitae

2015-2016 Visiting scholar. CMPG lab, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern
2013-2015
PostDoc research fellow at Dr Jochen Wolf’s lab - Uppsala University
 2011-2013  PostDoc research fellow at Prof. Tom Gilbert's lab, University of Copenhagen
 2006-2010  PhD in Zoology – University of Aberdeen
2002-2005
Part-time Masters (research-based) – University of Durham

Selected publications

Journal articles

  • Foote AD, Liu Y, Thomas GW, Vina T, Alföldi J, Deng J, Dugan S, van Elk CE Hunter ME, Joshi V, Khan Z, Kovar C, Lee SL, Lindblad-Toh K, Mancia A, Nielsen R Qin X, Qu J, Raney BJ, Vijay N, Wolf JB, Hahn MW, Muzny DM, Worley KC, Gilbert MT & Gibbs RA (2015) Convergent evolution of the genomes of marine mammals. Nature Genetics 47(3): 272-275
  • Morin PA, Parsons KM, Archer FI, Avila-Arcos MC, Barrett-Lennard LG, Dalla Rosa L, Duchêne S, Durban JW, Ellis GM, Ferguson SH, Ford JK, Ford MJ, Garilao C Gilbert MT, Kaschner K, Matkin CO, Petersen SD, Robertson KM, Visser IN, Wade PR Ho SY & Foote AD (2015) Geographic and temporal dynamics of a global radiation and diversification in the killer whale. Molecular Ecology 24(15): 3964-3979
  • Foote AD, Vilstrup JT, De Stephanis R, Verborgh P, Abel Nielsen SC, Deaville R, Kleivane L, Martín V, Miller PJ, Oien N, Pérez-Gil M, Rasmussen M, Reid RJ Robertson KM, Rogan E, Similä T, Tejedor ML, Vester H, Víkingsson GA, Willerslev E, Gilbert MT & Piertney SB (2011) Genetic differentiation among North Atlantic killer whale populations. Molecular Ecology 20(3): 629-641