Testing Conjectures About the Dimensionality of the Evolutionary Process

摘要响应人类活动的进化具有重要的经济意义，例如在农业中。能够预测这些变化将在何时以及如何演变将是非常有用的。我们知道突变和基因变异是进化所必需的。这个项目将寻找简单的突变和遗传变异的一般特征，作为预测进化的基础，并根据观察到的物种之间的差异来测试这些预测。果蝇(果蝇)的翅膀将作为模型系统。令人惊讶的是，在一项研究中将突变、变异和进化整合在一起，从来没有在多细胞生物体中尝试过。如果这个项目的预测得到证实，所开发的方法将适用于驯化动植物的进化。如果一个人能够预测不太可能进化的特征的组合，那么注定失败的昂贵的育种计划就可以避免。或者，不太可能随着自然变化而进化的特征将成为遗传操作的诱人目标。如果预测没有得到证实，这将表明在预测有用之前，需要更详细地了解生物特征的功能基础。

AbstractEvolution in response to human activities is of great economic importance, for example in agriculture. It would be extremely useful to be able to predict when and how such changes will evolve. We know that mutation and genetic variation is necessary for evolution. This project will search for simple general features of mutation and genetic variation to use as the basis for predictions about evolution, and test these predictions against the differences observed among species. The wings of fruit flies (Drosophila) will be used as a model system. Surprisingly, integration of mutation, variation and evolution in one study has never been attempted with a multicellular organism. If the predictions of this project are borne out, the methods developed would be applicable to evolution in domesticated plants and animals. If one can predict combinations of features that are unlikely to evolve, costly breeding programs that are doomed to fail could be avoided. Alternatively, features that are unlikely to evolve with natural variation would be attractive targets for genetic manipulations. If the predictions are not borne out, this will point to the need for a more detailed understanding of the functional basis of biological traits before predictions are useful.