Fungal Mimicry And It's Consequences In The Unique Deceptive Pollination Of Dracula Orchids

真菌模仿及其在德古拉兰花独特的欺骗性授粉中的后果

• 批准号: 0841613
• 负责人: Barbara Roy
• 金额: $ 57.29万
• 依托单位: University of Oregon Eugene
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-08-01 至 2013-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0841613&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Fungal; Mimicry; Consequences; Unique; Deceptive

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Mimicry, the adaptive resemblance of one organism to another, is one of the most compelling examples of evolution by natural selection. Although most examples of mimicry concern defense strategies of animals, floral mimicry also occurs. Dracula orchids (about 150 species) appear to be a remarkable but poorly known example of mimicry in plants: their flowers look and smell like mushrooms. However, the key component of mimicry in Dracula orchids, that the similarity to mushrooms actually benefits the plants, has never been tested. This project is designed to understand the ecology and evolution of mushroom mimicry in Dracula orchids through pollination experiments, chemical analysis of orchid and mushroom fragrances, and testing for pollinator specificity using field experiments and genetic analysis in natural populations of the orchids in Ecuador.This project will contribute to mimicry theory in general and specifically its extension to non-animal systems. Furthermore, it will enhance the current, and sometimes contentious, discussions in pollination ecology about specific versus generalist pollinators and the ecological forces and genetic mechanisms responsible for their evolution. This project also has broad implications for the power of natural selection in shaping the biology of organisms at local scales and the evolutionary forces resulting from interactions among species that create and maintain biological diversity.Broader impacts of this project will include advanced training for students and a postdoctoral fellow, and international collaborations with Swiss scientists and two Ecuadorian women scientists. Responsible, sustainable ecotourism will be promoted by providing the kind of natural history story that draws inquisitive visitors and by working closely with Fundación Los Cedros, a private organization that protects 17,000 acres of primary rainforest in a biodiversity hotspot. Beyond its intrinsic value to conservation, remarkable biological narratives about fascinating organisms inspire new scientists and improve public engagement in science.

该奖项是根据2009年的《美国恢复和再投资法》（公法111-5）资助的。模仿一种与另一种有机体的适应性相比，是自然选择的最引人注目的进化实例之一。植物中的模仿：它们的花朵看起来像肌肉室。然而，从未对吸血鬼兰花中的模仿兰花中的关键组成部分，即与肌肉室的相似性实际上使植物受益。该项目旨在通过授粉实验，兰花和肌肉框架的化学分析以及使用现场实验和遗传分析在ecuador的自然种群中对授粉媒介特异性的化学分析以及测试对埃克多尔兰花的遗传分析的测试，这些项目将有助于对模仿和非特定系统的范围，对兰花的自然种群进行授粉的遗传分析。此外，它将在授粉生态学上就特定的授粉媒介以及造成其进化的生态力量和遗传机制进行授粉生态学上的当前，有时甚至有争议的讨论。该项目还对自然选择的力量在塑造本地尺度的生物学以及由于创造和维持生物多样性的物种之间的相互作用而产生的进化力量对自然选择的力量具有广泛的影响。该项目的支持者的影响包括对学生的高级培训以及与瑞士科学家和两位厄瓜多尔妇女的国际合作培训，以及一名博士后研究员和一名后的培训。负责，可持续的生态旅游将通过提供吸引好奇访客的自然历史故事，并与FundaciónLosCedros紧密合作，该故事是一个保护生物多样性热点中17,000英亩的主要雨林的私人组织。除了其对保护的内在价值之外，关于迷人生物的杰出生物学叙事激发了新科学家并改善了公众参与科学。