Dissertation Research: Developmental Origins and Evolutionary Consequences of Modularity in a Complex Trait

论文研究：复杂特征中模块化的发展起源和进化后果

• 批准号: 0608356
• 负责人: Alexander Badyaev
• 金额: $ 1.2万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-07-01 至 2008-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0608356&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Developmental; Origins; Evolutionary

A major goal of biology is to understand how animal diversity is generated. Morphological diversity evolves through changes in development among species which could be due to either differences in the genes responsible for growth or variation in the environment under which individuals develop. This project seeks to understand how differences in environment during growth generate adaptive changes in adult form. Specifically, this study examines the effect of variation in diet on jaw growth and diversification across species of shrews, small insect eating mammals. Jaw structure in shrews has been shown to differ across environments and is thus a model system to test how environmental differences can produce changes in growth. Changes in jaw growth resulting from differences in diet will be tested experimentally by raising sibling shrews on two diets differing in hardness of prey, and measuring differences in jaw growth, form, and function between the groups. This research conceptually and methodologically integrates fields of development, morphological evolution, and animal form and function to elucidate how changes in growth and development within a species ultimately generate diversity among species and thus has important implications for understanding the consequences of environmental change on animal diversity. During the course of this study, several undergraduate students will be trained in advanced field and laboratory techniques.

生物学的一个主要目标是了解动物多样性是如何产生的。形态多样性是通过物种之间的发育变化而演变的，这可能是由于负责生长的基因的差异或个体发育环境的变化。该项目旨在了解生长过程中环境的差异如何在成人形式中产生适应性变化。具体来说，这项研究探讨了饮食变化对颌生长和多样化的影响，在不同物种的鼩，小昆虫吃哺乳动物。研究表明，不同环境下的鼩 鼱的颌骨结构不同，因此，它是测试环境差异如何影响生长的模型系统。由饮食差异引起的颌骨生长变化将通过实验进行测试，方法是用两种猎物硬度不同的饮食饲养兄弟姐妹，并测量各组之间颌骨生长、形态和功能的差异。该研究从概念和方法上整合了发育、形态进化、动物形态和功能等领域，以阐明一个物种内生长和发育的变化如何最终产生物种间的多样性，从而对理解环境变化对动物多样性的影响具有重要意义。在这项研究的过程中，一些本科生将在先进的现场和实验室技术的培训。