Speciation by Sexual Selection: Mating Trait Divergence and Ecology in Stickleback Speciation

性选择的物种形成：刺鱼物种形成中的交配性状差异和生态学

• 批准号: 0416808
• 负责人: Janette Boughman
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-07-01 至 2010-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0416808&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Speciation; Sexual; Selection; Mating; Trait

Speciation by sexual selection: Mating trait divergence and ecology in stickleback speciationJanette W. Boughman The question of how new species arise is an old and difficult one. Despite decades of research, we still lack a clear understanding of what causes speciation. A long standing but little tested hypothesis is that sexual selection (male competition for mates and female mating preferences) can cause speciation as male mating signals and female preferences diversify. Yet, the causes of diversification in mating traits remain elusive. Without such diversification, sexual selection cannot contribute to speciation. Therefore, we cannot understand how sexual selection gives rise to new species without understanding what causes mating traits to diverge. This project will test the hypothesis that sexual selection differs when populations live in different habitats, and that this can lead to diversification of mating traits. It ties together ecology and behavior to understand how they interact to create new species. The project studies the threespine stickleback species complex because both ecology and behavior are implicated in their speciation. Using field and lab experiments, the project focuses on two mating traits that have been shown to be involved in both sexual selection and speciation. These traits are nuptial color and body size. Major goals are to explore how habitat differences influence sexual selection on these traits and to quantify differences between species in mating preferences and male competition. The project will provide training for a postdoctoral scientist, a graduate student, and several undergraduates. The work is timely because the study species are endangered. This work will assist in conservation efforts by helping to identify the critical ecological features that are necessary for the species to persist.

性别选择的物种形成：刺鱼物种的交配特征分化和生态珍妮特·W·鲍曼如何产生新物种是一个古老而困难的问题。尽管经过了几十年的研究，我们仍然缺乏对物种形成原因的清楚了解。一个由来已久但几乎没有得到检验的假设是，随着男性交配信号和女性偏好的多样化，性选择(男性对配偶的竞争和女性的交配偏好)可能会导致物种形成。然而，交配特征多样化的原因仍然难以捉摸。如果没有这种多样化，性选择就不能促进物种形成。因此，如果不了解是什么导致交配特征分化，我们就无法理解性选择是如何产生新物种的。这个项目将检验这样一个假设，即当种群生活在不同的栖息地时，性选择是不同的，这可能导致交配特征的多样化。它将生态和行为联系在一起，了解它们是如何相互作用创造新物种的。该项目研究三刺鱼物种复合体，因为它们的物种形成涉及生态和行为。通过实地和实验室实验，该项目重点研究了两个交配特征，这两个特征已被证明与性别选择和物种形成有关。这些特征是婚礼的颜色和体型。主要目标是探索栖息地差异如何影响这些特征的性别选择，并量化物种之间在交配偏好和雄性竞争方面的差异。该项目将为一名博士后科学家、一名研究生和几名本科生提供培训。这项工作是及时的，因为研究的物种濒临灭绝。这项工作将有助于确定物种生存所必需的关键生态特征，从而有助于保护工作。