DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Convergent Local Adaptation in White Sands Lizards

白沙，新墨西哥州是一个年轻的地质景观，由黑暗的沙漠灌木丛包围着赤裸裸的白色沙丘。在三种蜥蜴物种中，对这一特征发生了戏剧性的趋同适应；沙丘种群呈现白色，而邻近种群呈现黑色。这个系统提供了一个独特的机会，可以更好地了解生物体如何快速适应不断变化的环境，并最终了解新物种是如何进化的。将采用一种综合方法来研究白沙蜥蜴的适应性。分子技术将用于研究基因流动与局部适应之间的关系，并确定涉及爬行动物颜色进化的特定基因。将进行野外实验，研究生态学、生殖生物学和物种形成之间的关系。这个项目有助于理解生物学的一个核心问题，生物多样性的进化。从经验上讲，本研究解决了关于生态因素在物种形成中的重要性的持续争论。研究结果也可用于制定保护政策。关注景观保护代表了一种向保护进化过程而不是当前物种分布模式转变的范式。以往的研究表明，生态过渡带对生物多样性的产生和维持具有重要意义，本研究将有助于评估这些地区作为保护目标的作用。

White Sands, New Mexico is a geologically young landscape of stark white dunes surrounded by dark desert scrubland. In three lizard species, there has been dramatic convergent adaptation to this feature; dune populations exhibit blanched coloration while adjacent populations are dark. This system provides a unique opportunity to better understand the conditions under which organisms adapt rapidly to changing environments and, ultimately, how new species evolve. An integrative approach will be employed to investigate adaptation in White Sands lizards. Molecular techniques will be used to study the relationship between gene flow and local adaptation and to identify specific genes involved in color evolution in reptiles. Field experiments will be conducted to study the relationship between ecology, reproductive biology and speciation.This project contributes to understanding a central issue in biology, the evolution of biological diversity. Empirically, this study addresses an ongoing debate about the importance of ecological factors in speciation. Results are also relevant in formulating conservation policy. Focusing on conservation of landscapes represents a shifting paradigm toward preserving evolutionary processes rather than current species distribution patterns. Previous work has suggested that ecological transition zones are important for generating and maintaining biological diversity, and the proposed research will help evaluate the role of these areas as conservation targets.