Analysis of Speciation Mechanisms in an Adaptive Radiation

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Adaptive radiations have long been recognized as prime examples of natural selection and speciation. To understand the processes that bring about these radiations requires a phylogenetic reconstruction of the relationships among the species. However, adaptive radiations usually occur extremely rapidly and therefore traditional methods of phylogenetic reconstruction often fail. The proposed research will investigate whether DNA sequencing of the 3'-untranslated region of multiple genes will provide the data necessary for the phylogenetic reconstruction of a particularly rapid adaptive radiation, that in the columbine genus Aquilegia. After sequencing the 3' ends of expressed genes, specific PCR primers will be designed to amplify both coding and non-coding gene regions. These gene regions will then be sequenced for multiple species of Aquilegia and a phylogenetic reconstruction will be made. Understanding the processes that generate bio-diversity is essential to understanding how bio-diversity can be maintained. Adaptive radiations represent instances of remarkable diversification yet without information on the evolutionary relationships of their species, little progress can be made on understanding their origin. The proposed research will investigate a technique that would be applicable to reconstructing relationships for a wide range of taxa.