DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The role of the Z-chromosome in the reproductive isolation of Passerina buntings (Aves: Cardinalidae)

模式生物之间杂交的研究对我们理解新物种的形成非常重要，但不太可能完全捕捉到自然系统中物种形成和杂交的过程。在拟议的项目中，研究人员调查了靛蓝（雀鸟）和蓝鸟（鸟：红雀科）之间生殖隔离的遗传基础，它们形成了一个杂交区，它们的繁殖范围重叠。初步数据表明，不同的遗传位点（线粒体、核常染色体、核z连锁）在杂交区表现出不同的基因渗入，这表明z染色体对鸟类物种形成有相对较大的影响。在这里，多个z连锁位点的遗传渗入模式将与理论预测相结合，以验证旨在确定导致这些物种之间生殖隔离的基因的假设。除了研究将对我们理解近亲物种之间生殖隔离的进化产生影响之外，收集的数据还将允许评估蓝藻的范围扩展。观测数据表明，蓝藻的繁殖范围正在向西扩展，这可能是以牺牲阿米娜藻为代价的，因此，对它们之间杂交模式的准确了解可能对保护目的很重要。

Studies of hybridization between model organisms have been extremely important to our understanding of the formation of new species, but are unlikely to fully capture how speciation and hybridization proceed in natural systems. In the proposed project, the researchers investigate the genetic basis of reproductive isolation between Indigo (Passerina cyanea) and Lazuli (P. amoena) buntings (Aves: Cardinalidae), which form a hybrid zone where their breeding ranges overlap. Preliminary data suggest that different genetic loci (mitochondrial, nuclear autosomal, nuclear Z-linked) exhibit differential introgression across the hybrid zone and implicate the Z-chromosome as having a relatively large impact on avian speciation. Here, patterns of genetic introgression of multiple Z-linked loci will be combined with theoretical predictions to test hypotheses aimed at identifying genes contributing to reproductive isolation between these species.Beyond the impact the research will have on our understanding of the evolution of reproductive isolation between closely related species, the data collected will also allow for assessments of range expansion in P. cyanea. Observational data suggests the breeding range of P. cyanea is expanding westward, perhaps at the expense of P. amoena, such that an accurate knowledge of the patterns of hybridization between them may be important for conservation purposes.