Physiological Genetic Basis of Metamorphic Timing in a Urodele

大多数生物在个体发育过程中经历变态，在两个不同的栖息地生活。 变态的时间是一个生态学上重要的事件，因为有成本和收益与幼虫与成虫阶段的相对持续时间相关。 虽然很多人都知道的生态和进化意义的变质时间，很少有人知道的基本机制，有助于在变质时间的变化。 拟议的项目将使用一个模型urodele系统来描述变态时间变化的生理遗传基础。 使用的蝾螈是Ambystoma的杂交和回交，它们是否经历变态不同。 这些十字架，与先前的NSF支持，需要多年的发展。 这是一个小奖，以维持蝾螈殖民地一年，而研究项目的建议书是修改和重新提交。

The majority of organisms experience life in two distinct habitats as a result of undergoing a metamorphosis during ontogeny. The timing of metamorphosis is an ecologically important event because there are costs and benefits associated with the relative duration of the larval verses adult phase. Although much is known about the ecological and evolutionary significance of metamorphic timing, very little is known about the underlying mechanisms that contribute to variation in metamorphic timing. The proposed project would characterize the physiological genetic basis of variation in metamorphic timing using a model urodele system. The salamanders to be used are crosses and back-crosses of Ambystoma that differ in whether they undergo metamorphosis. These crosses, made with prior NSF support, required years to develop. This is a small award to maintain the salamander colony for a year, while the proposal for the research project is revised and resubmitted.