International Res Fellowship Prg: Polymorphism in an Elec Communication Channel:Investigations of Assortative Mating, Heritability, and Environmental Effects on Signal Development

0502341Arnegard国际研究奖学金计划使美国科学家和工程师能够在国外进行三到二十四个月的研究。该计划的奖项提供了联合研究的机会，以及使用独特或互补的设施，专业知识和国外的实验条件。在加拿大温哥华的不列颠哥伦比亚省大学，Ardalard博士与Dolph Schluter博士合作。交流渠道的离散变异可以作为研究动物交流多样化的进化机制的模型。当一个焦点生物的多态性信号被用于近缘物种的配偶识别时，一个早期的物种形成阶段或在此之前的多态性阶段被认为是焦点分类群。这样的系统可能存在于来自中非的电鱼类的Brienomyrus种群中。已知有大约24种“好”的Brienomyrus物种，每一种都表现出刻板的电器官放电（EOD）。嵌套在这个组内的是magnostipes复杂组成的对形态是无法区分的外观，但发射不同的EODs。这种复合物的I型变体与II型或III型共存，这取决于位置。该项目的目标之一是测试I型和II型是否在实验室流中配对。与本研究平行，PI将通过人工创建杂交种并检查其EOD是否与I型和II型不同来间接检测选择性交配。他还将估计杂交种相对于每种信号类型杂交后代的适应性，并将通过实验测试环境对EOD发育和表达的影响。最后，他将利用这些鱼的领土性质，利用回放实验研究爆炸物处理辨别的行为阈值。这项研究的结果将为更好地理解该系统中电信号多样化的影响迈出重要一步。Dolph Schluter的实验室是进行这些研究的理想场所。Schluter博士广泛研究了棘鱼的不相容交配、表型遗传和交配不相容性。他的水产设施将提供适合在半自然条件下进行繁殖实验的资源，并将电鱼从卵培育到成年。第一手的模式的配偶选择和性状遗传已知的刺鱼中发现的magnostipes复杂的比较将大大有利于解释结果。

0502341ArnegardThe International Research Fellowship Program enables U.S. scientists and engineers to conduct three to twenty-four months of research abroad. The program's awards provide opportunities for joint research, and the use of unique or complementary facilities, expertise and experimental conditions abroad.This award will support a twenty-two-month research fellowship by Dr. Matthew E. Arnegard to work with Dr. Dolph Schluter at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.Discrete variation in a communication channel can serve as a model in which to study evolutionary mechanisms underlying diversification in animal communication. When polymorphic signals in a focal organism are used for mate recognition in closely related species, an early stage of speciation or a polymorphic stage preceding it is suggested for the focal taxon. Such a system may exist within the Brienomyrus species flock of electric fishes from Central Africa. Some two dozen 'good' Brienomyrus species are known, each of which exhibits a stereotyped electric organ discharge (EOD). Nested within this group is the magnostipes complex consisting of pairs of morphs which are indistinguishable in appearance but emit distinct EODs. The TYPE I morph of this complex co-occurs with either TYPE II or TYPE III depending on locality. One of the goals of this project is to test whether TYPE I and TYPE II mate assortatively in laboratory streams. In parallel with this study, the PI will indirectly test for assortative mating by artificially creating hybrids and examining whether their EODs differ from TYPEs I and II. He will also estimate the fitness of hybrids relative to offspring derived from crosses within each signal type, and will experimentally test environmental effects on EOD development and expression. Finally, he will exploit the territorial nature of these fish to study behavioral thresholds of EOD discrimination using playback experiments. The outcomes of this study will make important steps toward better understanding of the influences responsible for electric signal diversification in this system.Dolph Schluter's laboratory is the ideal place to pursue these studies. Dr. Schluter has extensively studied assortative mating, phenotypic inheritance, and mating incompatibilities in stickleback fishes. His aquatic facilities will provide resources suitable for breeding experiments under semi-natural conditions and for rearing electric fish from eggs to adults. First-hand comparison of patterns of mate choice and trait inheritance known for sticklebacks to those found in the magnostipes complex will greatly benefit the interpretation results.