Collaborative Research: Extreme Discordance between Allozyme and Non-allozyme Introgression in Baltic Mussels. Selection on Allozymes?

进化生物学家面临的一个主要挑战是确定自然选择在多大程度上影响自然种群的遗传变异。北海和波罗的海发现的两种蓝贻贝之间的杂交很常见。两种贻贝物种之间基因的差异交换，特别是编码参与中央代谢途径的酶的基因，表明这些基因可能正在接受选择并参与适应波罗的海的低盐度条件。选择测试将通过比较这些代谢基因与非代谢基因和可能中性（即未处于选择下）基因的遗传交换水平并通过在 DNA 序列水平寻找选择信号来进行。该项目将进一步了解自然选择如何在多个基因上发挥作用，特别是在杂交物种之间的边界上。它还将增加妇女和少数民族在人口生物学和进化生态学方面的教育机会，并有助于开发这些领域的 K-12 教育宣传材料。

A major challenge for evolutionary biologists is to determine the degree to which natural selection shapes genetic variation in natural populations. Hybridization is common between two species of blue mussel found in the North and Baltic Seas. The differential exchange of genes between the two mussel species, particularly genes encoding enzymes involved in central metabolic pathways, suggests those genes may be under selection and involved in adaptation to low salinity conditions in the Baltic Sea. Tests for selection will be conducted by comparing levels of genetic exchange for these metabolic genes against nonmetabolic and presumably neutral (i.e., not under selection) genes and by looking for signals of selection at the DNA sequence level. This project will further the understanding of how natural selection operates at multiple genes, especially at the boundaries between hybridizing species. It will also enhance educational opportunities in population biology and evolutionary ecology for women and minorities and contribute to the development of K-12 educational outreach materials in these fields.