Moving from model to non‐model organisms? Lessons from Nasonia wasps

The development of novel molecular approaches in our ''post-genomics'' age has meant that non-model organisms are now beginning to be studied by evolutionary biologists in ways that until recently seemed unlikely or impossible.Although non-model organisms currently lack the genome sequences that allow Drosophila and Arabidopsis geneticists such experimental freedom, so quickly are new techniques being transferred to all sorts of species, that it is now reasonable to think that the distinction between model and non-model organism will soon be a thing of the past for the evolutionary biologist.An organism that clearly shows how much has changed is the parasitic wasp, Nasonia.The advances being made in understanding the evolutionary genetics of this wasp were recently the subject of the 3 rd International Nasonia Meeting, organised by Leo Beukeboom (University of Groningen), and held on the picturesque island of Schiermonnikoog, The Netherlands in June of this year.Nasonia, in particular N. vitripennis, has long been studied in terms of its genetics and ecology, perhaps most famously for its sex ratio behaviour and sex ratio distorters.Now N. vitripennis, along with its sister species giraulti and longicornis, is providing insights into such diverse topics as the evolutionary genetics of species differences, morphological adaptation and, most recently, early development.Crucially, it is the synthesis of molecular genetic and whole organism approaches that is stimulating this progress.Nasonia is very amenable to genetic analysis due to its haplodiploid genetic system in which females develop from