DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Molecular Basis for Convergent Adaptations: Floral Color Evolution in Columbines.

趋同进化为了解适应过程提供了一个独特的窗口。复制适应的范围可以从形态相似到平行的分子变化。在分子水平上的收敛可能通过结构或调节变化发生，并且可能受到多效性效应的限制。该研究探讨了天蛾授粉时多种收敛花色适应的分子基础。花青素苷生物合成途径中的分子趋同程度将使用生物化学、DNA测序和基因表达分析的组合来确定。这项研究将确定在适应过程中分子趋同和进化限制的程度，这是进化的一个基本过程。这项研究将直接影响我们对新适应如何产生的理解。在全球气候变化的时代，生物体将面临前所未有的环境变化速度。它们适应这些新环境的能力对于维持生物多样性至关重要。进化对适应的限制可以部分地决定许多动植物物种的命运。更好地了解适应的分子基础可能有助于预测那些濒临灭绝的物种，并有助于指导保护优先事项，以避免由于全球变暖而导致的灭绝。

Convergent evolution provides a unique window into the process of adaptation. Replicated adaptations can range from morphological similarity to parallel molecular changes. Convergence at the molecular level may occur through either structural or regulatory changes and may be constrained by pleiotropic effects. The proposed research investigates the molecular basis for multiple convergent floral color adaptations to hawkmoth pollination. The degree of molecular convergence in the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway will be determined using a combination of biochemistry, DNA sequencing and gene expression analysis. This study will determine the extent of molecular convergence and evolutionary constraint during adaptation, a fundamental process of evolution.This study will have a direct impact on our understanding of how new adaptations arise. In a time of global climate change, organisms will be faced with unprecedented rates of environmental change. Their ability to adapt to these new environments will be of utmost importance in maintaining biodiversity. Evolutionary constraints on adaptations could partly determine the fate of many plant and animal species. A better understanding of the molecular basis for adaptations may help predict those species that are in peril of extinction and help guide conservation priorities to avoid extinctions due to global warming.