Theoretical Population and Quantitative Genetics and Speciation

该项目关注导致种群内遗传变异和物种间遗传差异的进化力量。 种群内的遗传变异，通常表现为个体之间可观察到的差异，是由于力量的微妙平衡：突变将变异注入种群，自然选择和/或随机因素消除变异。 物种之间的遗传差异是由于这些相同的力量，虽然自然选择是进化适应的唯一原因。 拟议中的研究将探索这些力量的性质，特别关注消除变异的随机因素，导致个体之间物理差异的突变，以及导致不同物种产生不育或不存活后代的突变。 这项研究的方法包括对进化模型进行数学分析和计算机模拟，然后将这些模型的特性与其他人获得的数据进行比较，这项工作的更广泛意义涉及我们对遗传变异在疾病易感性等重要人类性状和具有经济重要性的农业性状中的影响的理解。 此外，这项工作将对我们理解人类起源和最近的人类移徙模式产生深远影响。

This project is concerned with the evolutionary forces that lead to genetic variation within populations and the genetic differences between species. Genetic variation within populations, which is often manifest as observable differences between individuals, is due to a delicate balance of forces: mutation injecting variation into populations and natural selection and/or random factors removing variation. Genetic differences between species are due to these same forces, although natural selection is the only cause of evolutionary adaptations. The proposed research will explore the nature of these forces, focusing in particular on the random factors that remove variation, on the mutations that caused physical differences between individuals, and on the mutations that cause different species to produce sterile or inviable offspring. The methodology for this research involves the mathematical analysis and computer simulation of models of evolution followed by a comparison of the properties of these models to data that has been obtained by others.The broader significance of this work concerns our understanding of the implications of genetic variation in such important human traits as disease susceptibility and in agricultural traits of economic importance. In addition, this work will have a profound impact on our understanding of human origins and the recent patterns of human migration.