Phenotypic Plasticity in Amphibians: A Phylogenetic Approach

大多数植物和动物生活在多变的环境中，通过调整它们的行为和形态来做出反应，以改善它们的表现。人们对了解这种可塑性的进化和生态产生了极大的兴趣。但生物学家缺乏对物种间可塑性进化过程的了解。PI建议检查50种两栖动物对捕食的行为、形态和生活史特征的可塑性。这个项目是全美范围内的合作项目，代表了迄今为止理解任何系统中可塑性进化的最广泛的方法之一。这项研究将培训7名研究生和6名本科生，其中包括来自代表性不足群体的个人。对社会的好处包括发展对有机体如何进化以应对环境变化的洞察。结果将由国际宣传局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.