Research

Evolvability is the ability of a trait to respond to selection (β). In the short term, evolvability is determined by the standing variation in the population. The additive genetic variances and covariances of multiple traits are summarized in the G matrix, a central parameter in quantitative genetics used to predict the phenotypic response (Δz) to selection and drift. 

If evolvability evolves, what happens at the macroevolutionary scale?

To learn more about this topic, check these publications:

• The evolution of phenotypic integration: How directional selection reshapes covariation in mice (Penna et al. 2017).

• Rules of teeth development align microevolution with macroevolution in extant and extinct primates (Machado et al., 2023)

• The stability of evolvability over 60 million years of Primate evolution (Penna et al. in prep).

My research uses genomic-level data to explore the underlying mechanisms of primate evolution, particularly focusing on how genetic diversity and evolutionary pressures shape species' traits. By analyzing whole-genome data from a wide range of primate species, I investigate complex evolutionary questions, such as the relationship between population size and genetic diversity and the molecular basis of convergent evolution of small body size in primates. These studies help uncover the genetic underpinnings of key evolutionary processes and provide insights into the adaptation of primates to diverse ecological niches.

Stay tuned to hear more about my ongoing projects:

• Evolutionary feedback between population size change, sexual selection, and genetic diversity in primates.

• Small but mighty: Unraveling the evolution of convergent miniaturization within primates integrating phylogenetic comparative methods and comparative genomics.

My research has significantly advanced the understanding of species diversity in nocturnal primates, particularly those from Africa's remote rainforests. By leveraging innovative methods such as historical DNA analysis, phylogenetic techniques, and museomics, I have uncovered cryptic species diversity in galagos and other lorisiforms. Museomics, which integrates genomic analyses with museum specimens, has been instrumental in clarifying species boundaries, identifying geographic barriers that shape population structure, and uncovering hidden diversity in these elusive primates. These insights not only fill critical knowledge gaps but also provide valuable data for conservation planning, such as identifying priority populations for protection and informing habitat management strategies. My work underscores the importance of museum collections as a resource for addressing pressing conservation challenges while advancing our understanding of evolutionary processes in these understudied species.

To learn more about this topic, check these publications:

• Overcoming Challenges to Extracting and Sequencing Historical DNA to Support Primate Evolutionary Research and Conservation, with an Application to Galagos (Penna et al., 2024)

• Applications of museum collections and genomics to biodiversity conservation. (Penna et al., 2025)

• How many babies in the bush? Reevaluating species diversity and evolutionary history of western dwarf galagos (Galagoides) in Africa’s Guineo-Congolian forests (Penna et al. in prep).

As an evolutionary biologist interested on macroevolutionary questions, I rely on phylogenies that accurately represent species diversity. To this end, my research program is dedicated to documenting species and genetic diversity, with a particular focus on species delimitation in poorly studied nocturnal primates from Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, including galagos, lorises, and angwantibos. Among these, the dwarf galagos (Galagoides) have long been regarded as one of the most enduring puzzles in primate taxonomy due to their cryptic morphology, elusive behavior, and broad geographic distribution. By applying museum genomics and an integrative taxonomy approach, I investigate biogeography and species boundaries in this and other clades of nocturnal primates, contributing to a deeper understanding of their diversity and evolutionary history.

Here are some examples of how I have applied integrative taxonomy to description of biodiversity in nocturnal primates:

• Cryptic diversity and species boundaries within the Paragalago zanzibaricus species complex (Pozzi, Penna et al., 2020)

• Phylogeography and evolutionary lineage diversity in the small-eared greater galago, Otolemur garnettii (Primates: Galagidae) (Penna et al, 2022)

• How many babies in the bush? Reevaluating species diversity and evolutionary history of western dwarf galagos (Galagoides) in Africa’s Guineo-Congolian forests (Penna et al. in prep).