Phenotypic Integration During Development and Evolution of Beetle Horns

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The complexity of organisms is the product of genes, environmental conditions, and developmental processes. These interactions are central themes in many biological and medical disciplines, and occupy a particularly prominent position in evolutionary biology. Ultimately, all evolutionary diversification of organismal form and function is only possible through changes in the nature of at least some of these interactions. The research project will explore the degree, nature and consequences of these interactions in the origin, development, and diversification of a complex class of traits that is emerging as a new model system in integrative organismal biology: beetle horns. Horned beetles offer incredible organismal richness and diversity, as well as accessibility to experimental manipulation. Using genetic, molecular, and biochemical approaches this research project will 1) determine which genes underlie the formation of horns, 2) explore which genes allow horn development to be more or less responsive to nutritional conditions, and 3) explore how genes and hormones interact during horn development and evolution. This research will not only make a novel contribution to the fields of development, physiology, and evolution, but also facilitate an integration of the evolution of developmental processes with the behavioral and ecological mechanisms that guide such evolution in nature. This research program also interfaces tightly with several educational and outreach efforts. Firstly, six high school teachers and three minority high school students will be recruited into the investigators' laboratories during the summer to immerse them in research in development, evolution, and ecology. Teachers and students will be recruited through existing outreach programs with which both investigators are already affiliated. Secondly, this project will help train at least seven young scientists (6 undergraduate students, 1 postdoc) in intensive interdisciplinary research integrating developmental biology, physiology, genetics, molecular biology and evolution. Lastly, results from the proposed research will contribute to course curricula and will be used as exemplars in two graduate courses on Evolution and Development, and Developmental Plasticity and Evolution.