The Evolution of Sexual Dimorphism in Recently Established Populations: An Ontogenetic Perspective

140年前，查尔斯达尔文提出了自然选择的进化论。 这一理论在解释动植物物种的多样性以及有机体与环境之间的复杂适应性方面取得了显著的成功。 对于进化生物学家来说，最大的难题之一就是两性异形的进化--同一物种的雄性和雌性在大小、形状和颜色上的差异。 标准的进化理论不能解释种群在性二态性方面的分歧。 拟议的研究将检验这样一个假设，即成虫二型性的变化是雄性和雌性生长和发育（个体发育）变化的结果。为了验证这一想法，研究人员将研究最近建立的家雀（Carpodacus mexicanus）种群的性别特异性生长模式。这将是第一次研究脊椎动物自然种群中性别二型进化中生长和发育的作用。最终，这项工作将为我们理解雄性和雌性的形态如何演变提供重要的新数据和见解。更一般地说，这些数据将增加我们对入侵物种快速定殖过程的理解，从而有助于保护工作。

One hundred and forty years ago Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural selection. This theory has been remarkably successful in explaining both the diversity of species of plants and animals and the intricate fit between organisms and their environment. One of the great puzzles remaining for evolutionary biologists is the evolution of sexual dimorphism - differences between males and females of the same species in size, shape, and coloration. Divergence of populations in sexual dimorphism cannot be explained by standard evolutionary theory. The research proposed will test the hypothesis that change in dimorphism of adults is the result of changes in the growth and development (ontogeny) of males and females. To test this idea the investigators will study sex-specific growth patterns of recently established populations of the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus), a small songbird.This will be the first study of the role of growth and development in evolution of sexual dimorphism in natural populations of vertebrates. Ultimately, this work will provide significant new data and insight into our understanding of how the morphologies of males and female evolve. More generally, these data will increase our understanding of the processes that enable rapid colonization by invasive species and, thereby, aid conservation efforts.