Dissertation Research - Cascading Speciation in a Parasitoid Wasp

论文研究 - 寄生蜂的级联物种形成

• 批准号: 0709647
• 负责人: Jeffrey Feder
• 金额: $ 0.97万
• 依托单位: University of Notre Dame
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-06-01 至 2009-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0709647&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Cascading; Speciation; Parasitoid

This project will explore a "cascading" speciation event involving the apple maggot fly (Rhagoletis pomonella) and a parasitoid wasp (Diachasma alloeum) that hunts and consumes the fly's larvae. Populations of both of these organisms have made a shift from their ancestral host, the hawthorn tree, to introduced European apples. Past work has shown that this shift has resulted in the formation of apple- and hawthorn-associated "races" of R. pomonella, each adapted to their respective hosts. It is believed that these races are a first step towards formation of distinct species. This project will look for evidence of a parallel race formation in D. alloeum through differences in wasp life history, behavior and genetics.The broader significance of this research is that it will help to form a more complete understanding of the processes underlying biodiversity. Phytophagous (plant-feeding) and parasitic insects are the most diverse organisms on Earth. One of the unifying goals in biology involves uncovering the sources of this spectacular diversity. Studying the evolutionary dynamics of such a tight ecological network of plants and insects should make clear some of the processes through which natural selection acts to create new species. Furthermore, this work will be of general interest to evolutionary biologists because it involves speciation in the absence of geographic isolation, an event for which few conclusive examples exist.

这个项目将探讨一个“级联”物种形成事件涉及苹果蛆苍蝇（Rhagoletis pomonella）和寄生蜂（Diachasma alloeum），狩猎和消费苍蝇的幼虫。这两种生物的种群都从它们的祖先宿主山楂树转移到了引进的欧洲苹果上。 过去的研究表明，这种转变导致了与苹果和山楂相关的R. pomonella，每个都适应各自的宿主。 据信，这些种族是形成不同物种的第一步。 这个项目将寻找D中平行种族形成的证据。这项研究的更广泛意义在于，它将有助于更全面地了解生物多样性背后的过程。植食性（植物饲养）和寄生昆虫是地球上最多样化的生物。 生物学的统一目标之一就是揭示这种惊人多样性的来源。 研究这样一个紧密的植物和昆虫生态网络的进化动力学，应该能弄清楚自然选择创造新物种的一些过程。 此外，这项工作将引起进化生物学家的普遍兴趣，因为它涉及在没有地理隔离的情况下的物种形成，这是一个几乎没有结论性例子的事件。