Testing Conjectures About the Dimensionality of the Evolutionary Process

检验关于进化过程维度的猜想

• 批准号: 0129219
• 负责人: David Houle
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Florida State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-02-01 至 2009-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0129219&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Testing; Conjectures; About; Dimensionality; Evolutionary

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.

响应人类活动的进化具有重要的经济意义，例如农业。如果能够预测这些变化何时以及如何演变，那将是非常有用的。我们知道突变和基因变异是进化的必要条件。该项目将寻找突变和遗传变异的简单一般特征，作为预测进化的基础，并根据观察到的物种之间的差异对这些预测进行检验。果蝇（Drosophila）的翅膀将作为模型系统。令人惊讶的是，在一项研究中整合突变、变异和进化从未在多细胞生物中进行过尝试。如果该项目的预测得到证实，所开发的方法将适用于驯化植物和动物的进化。如果人们能够预测不太可能进化的特征组合，那么注定要失败的昂贵的育种计划就可以避免。另外，那些不太可能随着自然变异而进化的特征将成为基因操纵的有吸引力的目标。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。