Development and Evolution of Beetle Horns

甲虫角的发育和进化

• 批准号: 0445661
• 负责人: Armin Moczek
• 金额: $ 39.5万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2005
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2005-01-01 至 2007-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0445661&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Development; Evolution; Beetle; Horns

PROJECT SUMMARY:Two proposed research examines the developmental origins and subsequent evolutionary diversification of one of the most diverse classes of phenotypic traits: horns and horn-like structure in beetles. In particular the proposed research has three major aims: (1) First, it will complete a first characterization of the gene network that patterns horn development in beetles. (2) Secondly, using a comparative approach it will explore how modifications of the regulation of horn development have contributed to the dramatic diversification of horned beetles on three different levels: (i) alternative horned and hornless male morphs within species, (ii) sexual dimorphism, and (iii) interspecific diversity in location, size, and number of horns. (3) Lastly, the proposed research will develop RNA interference approaches for future studies of functional relationships between putative horn patterning mechanisms and horn phenotypes.INTELLECTUAL MERIT & BROADER IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH:The proposed research directly addresses one of the most significant unresolved questions in evolutionary biology: how do novel complex phenotypes originate and diversify. At the same time the hypotheses framework and experimental design build firmly on 10 years of research by the PI on the behavioral ecology and evolutionary physiology of horn development in beetles. The proposed research will thus make a novel contribution to the field of evolutionary developmental biology, and at the same time facilitate an integration of the evolution of developmental processes with the behavioral, physiological and ecological mechanisms that guide such evolution in nature. Lastly, the proposed research aims to develop working RNAinterference protocols for future studies on the evolution and development of beetle horns. As such the proposed research will contribute a tool previously unavailable to scientists, yet paramount for future functional analyses of developmental evolution in these organisms. The proposed research will be carried out in large part by graduate and undergraduate students and provide additional training and research opportunities to high school students. The PI is strongly committed to use the proposed research as an opportunity to continue and expand his initiative to integrate underrepresented groups into research and training in his new lab at Indiana University. Apart from timely publication in peer-reviewed journals results from this proposal will be used as exemplars in a graduate course on the Evolution and Development of Phenotypic Plasticity as well as an undergraduate course in Insect Biology.

项目摘要：两项拟议的研究研究了最多样化的表型特征之一的发育起源和随后的进化多样性：甲虫中的角和类似角的结构。尤其是拟议的研究具有三个主要目的：（1）首先，它将完成对甲虫中角发育的基因网络的首次表征。 （2）其次，使用一种比较方法，它将探讨如何调节角发育的修改是如何在三种不同层面上有巨大的角甲虫的急剧多样化：（i）物种内的替代性角和无角男性形态，（ii）性二态性，以及（iii）（iii）位置，大小和角数的杂质多样性。 （3）最后，拟议的研究将开发RNA干扰方法，用于未来研究推定的喇叭图案机制和角表型之间功能关系的研究。拟议研究的智能绩效和更广泛的影响：拟议的研究直接解决了进化生物学中最重要的未解决的问题之一：如何使新颖的复杂现象和多样化的新颖复杂现象构成了新颖的复杂现象。同时，假设框架和实验设计基于PI对甲虫角发育的行为生态学和进化生理学的10年研究。因此，拟议的研究将对进化发展生物学领域做出新的贡献，同时促进了发展过程的演变与指导自然界进化的行为，生理和生态机制的融合。最后，拟议的研究旨在为未来的甲虫角进化和发展研究开发工作的RNETEREXTION协议。因此，拟议的研究将为科学家贡献以前无法使用的工具，但对于这些生物体发育进化的未来功能分析至关重要。 拟议的研究将在很大程度上由研究生和本科生进行，并为高中生提供更多的培训和研究机会。 PI强烈致力于利用拟议的研究作为一个机会，以继续并扩大他在印第安纳大学的新实验室将代表性不足的群体纳入研究和培训的倡议。除了在同行评审期刊上及时出版的结果，该提案的结果还将在研究生课程中用作表型可塑性的演变和发展以及昆虫生物学的本科课程的典范。