Speciation Genetics in Tribolium

[9629716]物种形成，即一个物种分裂成两个物种，是生物学的一个基本过程。当两个种群的基因差异大到无法产生可生育的后代时，就会发生这种情况。本项目研究了两种粉甲虫（Tribolium castaneum和T. freemani）的生殖隔离遗传基础，这两种粉甲虫杂交后产生不育后代。在这些物种的不同品系之间的杂交中，雌性后代的比例和畸形雄性的频率存在差异。遗传杂交和选择实验将用于研究这些差异的遗传基础。这些实验研究了一个物种内的选择力和遗传变异如何导致足够的分化以实现生殖隔离和物种形成。研究物种形成的遗传基础是了解物种生物多样性产生的基础。

9629716 Wade Speciation, the splitting of one species into two, is a basic process in biology. It occurs when two populations become genetically different enough that they cannot produce fertile offspring. This project studies the genetic basis for this reproductive isolation in two species of flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum and T. freemani, which produce sterile offspring when crossed. In crosses among different strains of these species, there is variation in the proportion of offspring that are female and the frequency of deformed males. Genetic crosses and selection experiments will be used to investigate the genetic basis for these differences. These experiments address how selective forces and genetic variation within a species result in enough divergence for reproductive isolation and speciation. Studying the genetic basis for speciation is fundamental for understanding the generation of species biodiversity.