Collaborative Research: Phylogenetic Analysis of G-matrix Evolution in the Repeated Adaptive Radiations of Anolis lizards

这项研究调查了种群内个体之间性格差异的遗传学，以及物种的遗传结构如何进化。由于性状受到许多基因的影响，并且基因影响许多性状，因此不同性状的变异（例如臂长和腿长）并不是彼此独立的。遗传方差-协方差矩阵（G 矩阵）总结了这些相互依赖性。这项研究将估计八种安乐蜥蜴的 G 矩阵。由于不同岛屿上的这些蜥蜴物种适应了相同的环境，因此这项研究将允许对经历过相同自然选择压力的远缘物种进行比较，以及生活在同一岛屿上但经历不同选择压力的密切相关物种。这些比较将允许评估影响 G 矩阵如何演化的因素。 G 矩阵通过将一代的自然选择转化为下一代的表型变化，在描述进化变化方面具有根本重要性。尽管如此，科学家们仍然不太清楚哪些因素会影响 G 矩阵的演化。通过检查许多物种，这项研究将是迄今为止最广泛的研究，因此将极大地扩展对进化变化背后的遗传学的理解。该项目将支持培训一名博士后学者、一名研究生和几名本科生，包括来自传统上代表性不足群体的学生。安乐蜥蜴已成为研究进化多样化并向广大受众传播这种理解的主要模型之一。关于安乐蜥蜴进化的记载出现在无数的教科书、电视节目和流行出版物中。该项目将继续这些努力。

This study investigates the genetics underlying character variation among individuals within a population, and how the genetic structure of species evolves. Because characters are affected by many genes, and because genes affect many characters, variation in different characters (e.g., arm length and leg length) are not independent of each other. The genetic variance-covariance matrix (G-matrix) summarizes these interdependencies. This study will estimate the G-matrix for eight species of Anolis lizards. Because species of these lizards on different islands have adapted to the same environment, this study will allow the comparison of distantly related species that have experienced the same natural selection pressures, as well as closely related species that live on the same island, but have experienced different selective pressures. These comparisons will permit evaluation of the factors that affect how the G-matrix evolves. The G-matrix is of fundamental importance in describing evolutionary change by translating natural selection in one generation into phenotypic change in the next. Nonetheless, scientists still do not have a good understanding of what factors affect evolution of the G-matrix. By examining many species, this study will be the most extensive study to date and will thus greatly expand understanding of the genetics underlying evolutionary change. This project will support the training of a postdoctoral scholar, a graduate student, and several undergraduates, including students from traditionally underrepresented groups. Anolis lizards have become one of the major models for studying evolutionary diversification and relaying that understanding to a broad audience. Accounts of Anolis evolution have appeared in countless textbooks, television programs and popular publications. This project will continue those efforts.