Collaborative Research: The role of isolation in species diversification; insights into dispersal and evolution of endemic Lotus from the California Channel Islands

合作研究：隔离在物种多样化中的作用；

• 批准号: 0842023
• 负责人: Mitchell McGlaughlin
• 金额: $ 14.51万
• 依托单位: University of Northern Colorado
• 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: 2009-03-01 至 2013-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0842023&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; role; isolation; species

Understanding the mechanisms that lead to the origin of new species is a primary goal of evolutionary biology. Although new species have traditionally been viewed as originating in isolation from close relatives, recent data suggest that unique evolutionary entities can diverge even with high levels of gene flow. Although both genetic and ecological factors contribute to divergence of new taxa, the balance and roles of connectivity and isolation in diverging populations remain poorly understood. This project uses molecular genetic, ecological, and morphological data to understand patterns of divergence resulting from the balance between isolation and interbreeding in many populations of two endemic Lotus species in the California Channel Islands. These islands are close to each other and mainland California, but contain many unique species not found on the mainland. This project contributes to the documentation of biodiversity and understanding of the underlying processes that generate new species. Such understanding is needed for effective conservation and management of biological diversity and the ecosystem services it supports. This study will clarify how natural processes influence connectivity and divergence in ecological communities of islands, with applications also to similar continental regions. The research also offers interdisciplinary research training for many undergraduate and graduate students and significant outreach to agencies and NGOs that are charged with conservation and management of biodiversity.

了解导致新物种起源的机制是进化生物学的首要目标。尽管传统上认为新物种起源于近亲，但最近的数据表明，即使在高水平的基因流下，独特的进化实体也可能出现分歧。尽管遗传和生态因素都会导致新类群的分化，但不同种群中连通性和隔离性的平衡和作用仍然知之甚少。该项目利用分子遗传、生态和形态学数据来了解加利福尼亚海峡群岛两种特有莲花物种的许多种群中隔离和杂交之间的平衡所产生的分化模式。这些岛屿彼此靠近且靠近加利福尼亚大陆，但包含许多大陆上未发现的独特物种。该项目有助于记录生物多样性和了解产生新物种的基本过程。有效保护和管理生物多样性及其支持的生态系统服务需要这种理解。这项研究将阐明自然过程如何影响岛屿生态群落的连通性和分歧，也适用于类似的大陆地区。该研究还为许多本科生和研究生提供跨学科研究培训，并为负责生物多样性保护和管理的机构和非政府组织提供重要的外展服务。