US-South Africa Cooperative Research: Cospeciation, Host Switching, and Symbiont Sharing in Ectosymbioses: A Multiple Layer Phylogenetic Approach

该奖项支持对Dendroctonus树皮甲虫真菌共生的国际合作研究调查。这些共生体包括甲虫和真菌之间的相互作用，从三个不同的群体，以及与phoretic（搭便车）真菌喂养螨。与南非比勒陀利亚大学的Michael温菲尔德博士合作，我们建议开发一种分子遗传学的Ophiostoma真菌协会，以与甲虫的遗传学进行比较。这种比较有助于深入了解相互作用的生物体的进化历史和关系。未来的工作将包括其他真菌群和螨。使用多物种的方法将允许更广泛和更准确地解释共生组合如何形成，维持和随着时间的推移而演变。这项合作汇集了两名这些系统的专家，其中六名来自美国，专门研究甲虫真菌共生，这项研究将增加我们对一组经济和生态上重要的昆虫的了解-大小蠹是北美森林昆虫中最具经济破坏性的，但也是决定森林结构和组成的自然干扰因子。这项研究还将有助于确定影响共生体发展、进化和维持的因素，共生体是生态和经济上重要的物种相互作用类型。该项目涉及一名研究人员和四名来自美国的学生以及南非的几名顶级研究人员之间的合作。它将帮助两名硕士生和两名博士生的专业发展和培训，其中包括一名来自传统上代表性不足的群体（美洲土著人）。

Six 0434171 This award supports an international collaborative research investigation on Dendroctonus bark beetle-fungus symbioses. These symbioses include interactions among beetles and fungi from three distinct groups, as well as with phoretic (hitchhiker) fungus-feeding mites. In collaboration with Dr. Michael Wingfield at the University of Pretoria in South Africa, we propose to develop a molecular phylogeny of the Ophiostoma fungal associates for comparison with a phylogeny of the beetles. Such comparisons yield insights into evolutionary histories and relationships of interacting organisms. Future work will include the other fungal groups and the mites. Using a multi-species approach will allow a broader and more accurate interpretation of how symbiotic assemblages form, are maintained, and evolve over time. The collaboration brings together two experts on these systems, Six from the USA specializing in beetle-fungus symbioses, and Wingfield from South Africa specializing in Ophiostoma systematics.This research will increase our knowledge of an economically and ecologically important group of insects - Dendroctonus are the most economically damaging of North American forest insects but also function as natural disturbance agents that determine forest structure and composition. The research will also help identify factors influencing the development, evolution, and maintenance of symbioses, en ecologically and economically important type of species interactions. The project involves collaboration between a researcher and four students from the USA and several top researchers in South Africa. It will aid the professional development and training of two MS students and two PhD students including one from a traditionally under-represented group (Native American).