The Evolution of Trade-offs: Experimental Evaluation of Novel Quantitative Genetic Predictions

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Evolution is characterized by changes over time in all aspects of the biology of organisms. Limited resources and shared underlying genetic and developmental pathways generate trade-offs among traits. The extent to which such trade-offs constrain the direction and rate of evolution is a central question in modern evolutionary biology. The investigators address this question using the mathematical framework of quantitative genetics. They use the well-characterized trade-off between reproduction and flight capability in the sand cricket as a model system, and use artificial selection in the laboratory to force evolution of the component traits. The experiment will provide the first quantitative and mechanistic evaluation of the joint evolution of traits involved in a key life history trade-off, and will significantly advance our understanding of the process of evolution at the organismal level. In addition to providing research and technical training for many graduate and undergraduate students, this project will create significant new biological infrastructure in the form of a new set of replicated selected lines. These will be made widely available through the newly created "Integrated Research Program in Experimental Evolution" (IRPEE) and will provide the framework for new research projects in fields as diverse as behavioral ecology, physiology, morphometrics, and evolutionary genetics. The availability of these evolved lineages will also support international collaborations, including current collaborations with researchers from Finland, France and Chile.