organized by Molly Cummings and Caitlin Gabor

Dear Friends, Colleagues and Fishy Folks,  

We wanted to send out a Save-the-Date email to invite ‘all y’all’ to join us for the 11th International Conference of Poeciliid Biologists. The meeting will be held from 8-10 October 2024 at the University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University— San Marcos (USA). 

While we are still working on the program, we wanted to let y’all know that the meeting will continue to address all aspects of Poeciliid biology— from genomics, neurobiology, hormones, behavior to ecosystem ecology. Importantly, we welcome contributions on all livebearing families (e.g., Anablepidae, Goodeidae, Zenarchopteridae).  

Exciting news is that this will be the first Poeciliid Biologists Conference that will be a partially joint meeting with the “Aquatic Models for Human Disease” Conferencehttps://aqmhd.xiphophorus.txst.edu/.  The first day will overlap with the AQMHD conference (Oct. 8th) in San Marcos.  Transportation between Austin and San Marcos will beprovided.  

Important dates:  

We’ll send out a Link to our ‘growing’ website: January 15 th, 2024

Abstract submission deadline: May 20th, 2024
Selection of talks and poster presentations: June 20th, 2024
Registration deadline: July 1st, 2024

**Note: our conference dates are sandwiched between the two ACL music festival weekends, so booking travel early will be important (https://www.austincitylimits.com/).

We offer the choice between oral or poster presentations.  We invite anyone to submit a talk, including undergraduate students, starting graduate students, as well as junior and senior PIs. 

We would appreciate it if you could share this announcement with your professional network, and please have them email Caitlin so we can update our list. We look forward to seeing many of you in Texas! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.  

Warm wishes from Texas,  

Molly Cummings & Caitlin Gabor

Your Co-organizers

gabor@txstate.edu

mcummings@austin.utexas.edu

1st International Amazon Molly Workshop June 9/10 in Puebla, Mexico (OU in Puebla): Asexuality and Hybridization

Venue Address: 21 sur #1103, Barrio de Santiago

C.P. 72410, Puebla, Pue., México.

Room T-554

Day 1 June 9th

14:00 – 14:30: Welcome message

14:30 – 15:30: Geoff Wild (U Western Ontario), Frederic Fyon & Francisco Ubeda (U London Royal Holloway): Adaptive dynamics illustrated: mini workshop on modeling. In person

15:30 – 16:30: Frederic Fyon, Francisco Ubeda (U London Royal Holloway) & Geoff Wild (U Western Ontario).Selection for Asexuality in Hybrids: a possible evolutionary route for the Amazon Molly. In person

16:30 – 17:30: Waldir Miron, Tyler Reich & Ingo Schlupp (U of Oklahoma): Making Amazon mollies in the lab? Retracing the steps that led to the hybrid origin of the Amazon molly. In person

19:30 – open: dinner with participants, location TBD

Day 2 June 10th:

10:15 – 10:30: Welcome to Day 2

10:30 – 11:00: Rudy Riesch (U London Royal Holloway): Sex-specific life-history trait expression in hybrids of a cave- and surface-dwelling fish (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae). Remote 

11:00 – 11:30: Kate Laskowski (UC Davis): Tracking the development of behavioral individuality using the Amazon molly. Remote 

11:30 – 12:00: Amber Makowicz (Florida State U): Cascading indirect genetic effects in a clonal vertebrate. Remote

12:00 – 12:30: Mariana Mateos (Texas A&M): Evolutionary genetics of Poeciliopsis asexuals. Remote 

12:30 – 13:00: Open discussion

13:00 – 14:30: Lunch Break

14:30 – 15:30: Waldir Miron & Ingo Schlupp (U Oklahoma): mini workshop life histories. In person

15:30 – 16:00: Alexsandre Gutiérrez Barragán (U Sonora): Evidence of hybridization and possible genetic introgression in the Yaqui catfish Ictalurus pricei (Rutter, 1896) in Northwest Mexico. In person

16:00 – 16:30: Tyler Reich (U Oklahoma): Enrichment and welfare of Amazon mollies. In person

16:30 – 17:00: Irene Da Cruz (U Würzburg): Ameiotic reproduction of the Amazon molly.

17:00 – 17:30: Summary and General discussion.

19:30 – open: Farewell party with participants, location TBD

Weekend activities can be organized spontaneously.

Please note that for most talks, only the presenter is listed.

Direct any questions to Ingo Schlupp: (schlupp@ou.edu).