U.S.-Austria Cooperative Research on Population Genetic Models for Symbiont-Induced Speciation and Coevolution

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This award provides partial support for a sabbatical visit by Professor Michael E. Moody of Washington State University to the University of Vienna, Austria, to collaborate with Professor Reinhard Buerger of the Institute of Mathematics and other experts in mathematical genetics. They share an interest in the mathematical approaches to examining fundamental problems in population genetics. They will develop mathematical models to examine more precisely the population genetics implicit in a qualitative theory concerning the mechanism of one type of speciation. Specifically, they propose to test the theory that symbiont-induced speciation could result from differential coadaptation between habitats along an environmental gradient. Such a gradient could give rise to alternative outcomes of the coevolutionary interaction. Professor Moody has considerable experience modeling population genetics problems such as coevolution and population structure through analysis of gene flow at a single locus in geographically structured populations. The University of Vienna has several faculty possessing a variety of complementary expertise in mathematical genetics, including multi-locus models. The most striking aspect of biological evolution is the radiation of species into the vast array of forms observed in every corner of the earth. Understanding species evolution was the goal of Darwin's original theory, and, to this day, elucidating the mechanisms of speciation remains the central challenge of evolutionary biology. One of several conjectures is that coevolution between species may contribute directly to speciation; the interaction between symbionts and their hosts is one likely mechanism. However, the genetic and ecological conditions under which symbiont-induced speciation will occur are poorly understood. The proposed collaborative research should provide theoretical insights into the genetic consequences of symbiont-induced speciation and therefore contribute toward improved understanding of evolutionary divergence.