DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Speciation as a Function of Cultivar Switching in Fungus-Growing Ants

物种形成是产生生物多样性的基本过程。 在热带地区，切叶蚁和它们的姊妹种低等蚁构成了热带昆虫的很大一部分，但人们对它们的多样性知之甚少。 蚂蚁物种之间切换真菌品种类型的物种形成模式将在三个中美洲物种复合体的低attine蚂蚁（Cyphomyrmex longiscapus，Mycocepurus smithi，Apterostigma pilosum）进行检查。 本研究的目的是：利用分子遗传学技术将每个物种复合体分离成有效的物种;评估每个物种的遗传多样性;研究中美洲每个物种复合体的地理分布模式;区分异域和同域的物种形成模式。 通过调查模式的多样性在神秘的蚂蚁物种，蚂蚁真菌共生可能会出现作为一个新的模式系统的物种形成研究，从而有助于我们了解生物多样性。 这项研究将为一名研究生提供分子遗传学、昆虫学和田间技术方面的培训，研究生将培训和指导几名本科生助理。 这些结果将为这些古老的农业蚂蚁在5000万年里培养真菌的阿廷系统中已经进化到令人惊讶的复杂程度增加新的信息。

Speciation is the basic process that generates biodiversity. In the tropics, leaf-cutter ants and their sister species the lower attine ants comprise a significant proportion of tropical insects, but little is known about their diversification. Patterns of speciation by switching fungal cultivar types between ant species will be examined in three Central American species complexes of lower attine ants (Cyphomyrmex longiscapus, Mycocepurus smithi, and Apterostigma pilosum). The goals of this study are to: split each species complex into valid species using molecular genetic techniques; assess genetic diversity of each species; examine biogeographic patterns of each species complex in Central America; and differentiate between allopatric and sympatric modes of speciation.This research examines the fundamental process of forming new species. By investigating patterns of diversification in cryptic attine ant species, the attine-fungus mutualism may emerge as a new model system for speciation studies, thus contributing to our understanding of biodiversity. This research will provide training for a graduate student in molecular genetic, entomological, and field techniques, and the graduate student will train and supervise several undergraduate assistants. These results will add new information to the already astonishing level of complexity that has evolved within the attine system over the fifty million years that these ancient farming ants have been cultivating fungi.