Root Gorelick
Professor
| Degrees: | B.A. (Cornell), M.A. (Temple), M.S., M.A. (New Mexico State), M.S., Ph.D. (Arizona State) |
| Phone: | 613-520-2600 x 1586 |
| Email: | root.gorelick@carleton.ca |
| Office: | Office: 4625 CTTC Building Lab: 4660/4665 CTTC Building |
| Website: | Visit my lab website |
Research
Our research focuses on evolutionary theory of sex, cactus biology, and philosophy of science.
With evolution of sex, we investigate evolutionary origins of meiosis and karyogamy and the seemingly illusory dichotomy between females and males. Theory and empirical work antithetically show that sex decreases genetic variation, whereas mitosis increases variation, turning a substantial portion of evolutionary theory on its head.
Our work in cactus biology focuses on unusual morphologies. Some of these are homologies that allow untangling of deep evolutionary relationships amongst cactus subfamilies, an area in which molecular phylogenies have been equivocal. Our field work has extended ranges, showing unexpected overlap between species and possibly muddling distinctions between species.
While philosophy is typically eschewed by practicing scientists, there is value in considering Indigenous sciences, pluriversality, and why academic freedom should welcome Indigenous, anarchist and queer views. Our finding that sex delineates individuals helps interject philosophy into biology. On a more traditional note, we are attempting to unify the four evolutionary forces (or at least three of them), analogous to unified theories of the four forces in physics.
Selected Publications
Gorelick R. (2021) A case for Indigenous sciences. In Indigenizing the university: diverse perspectives (editor: Widdowson F). Pages 215-221.
Gorelick R (2020) The Coryphantha sneedii complex is indeed complex and continuously intergrades with Coryphantha vivipara. Haseltonia 27: 40-59.
Gorelick R (2020) Chromosome architecture drives cycad evolution. Cycads 5: 23-32.
Gorelick R and Villablanca FX (2018) Meiosis decreases recombination load; mitosis increases recombination load. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 11: 19-28.
Gorelick R, Carpinone J, and Derraugh LJ (2017) No universal differences between females and males: anisogamy and asymmetrical female meiosis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 120: 1-21.
Gorelick R (2014) Indigenous sciences are not pseudoscience. Ideas in Ecology and Evolution 7: 43-55.
Gorelick R and Heng H (2011) Sex reduces genetic variation. Evolution 65: 1088-1098.
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