Phenotypic Plasticity in Amphibians: A Phylogenetic Approach

大多数植物和动物生活在多变的环境中，并通过调整它们的行为和形态来改善它们的表现。人们对了解这种生物的进化和生态学有着极大的兴趣。可塑性，？但生物学家缺乏对物种水平上可塑性进化过程的理解。PI建议研究50种两栖动物对捕食的行为、形态和生活史特征的可塑性。该项目是美国各地的合作努力，代表了迄今为止了解任何系统中可塑性演变的最广泛方法之一。该研究将培训7名研究生和6名本科生，包括来自代表性不足群体的个人。对社会的好处包括深入了解生物体如何应对环境变化。研究结果将由PI通过面向地区初中和高中教师的教学模块进行传播。

Most plants and animals live in variable environments and respond by adjusting their behavior and morphology in ways that improve their performance. There has been tremendous interest in understanding the evolution and ecology of such ?plasticity,? but biologists lack understanding of the process of evolution of plasticity at the among-species level. The PI proposes to examine the plasticity of behavioral, morphological, and life-history traits in 50 species of amphibians in response to predation. This project is a collaborative effort across the United States and represents one of the most extensive approaches to understanding the evolution of plasticity in any system to date.The research will train seven graduate students and six undergraduate students including individuals from under-represented groups. Benefits to society include developing insights into how organisms evolve in response to environmental change. The results will be disseminated by the PI through teaching modules for regional middle and high school teachers.