Parallel evolution of motor patterns underlying sexual isolation and speciation

物种间行为不相容的遗传基础对于理解新物种起源的过程至关重要。这个项目涉及劳帕拉属的夏威夷蟋蟀，这是一个新物种迅速出现的群体。作为神经生物学研究中经典的运动模式和模型，雄性交配歌曲的差异导致了物种之间的生殖障碍，在这一群体中，歌曲差异多次独立进化。这些物种在实验室中进行杂交，这使得对可能参与物种形成过程的运动行为的遗传基础的重复研究成为可能。杂交后代将由三个独立的物种对产生。分子标记将被用来制作基因位置的基因组图，以及它们对三个物种对潜在的歌唱差异的贡献程度。这些研究的结果将揭示选择是否有助于这些独立物种对的进化，以及变化是以小步还是大步发生的。这一结果将使最终克隆导致物种间歌唱差异的基因成为可能。这项研究通过本科生、研究生和博士后参与，将研究和教育结合起来。来自夏威夷大岛卡米哈梅哈学校的孩子们将通过一个关于歌曲遗传遗传学的网络科学实验室参与进来。还将开发基因组资源，在模式物种中连接非模式基因组。

The genetic basis of behavioral incompatibilities between species is pivotal to understanding the process of how new species originate. This project involves the Hawaiian cricket in the genus Laupala, a group in which new species have arisen extremely rapidly. Differences of male mating song, a classic motor pattern and model in neurobiological research, contributes to reproductive barriers among species and, in this group, song differences evolved independently many times. These species hybridize in the laboratory, which enables replicated studies of the genetic basis of motor behaviors that are likely involved in the speciation process. Hybrid offspring will be produced from three independent species pairs. Molecular markers will be used to produce a genome map of the location of genes and the amount they contribute to the underlying song differences in the three species pairs. The results of these studies will reveal whether selection has contributed to the evolution of these independent species pairs and whether changes have occurred in small or large steps. This results will enable the eventual cloning of the genes underlying song differences between species. This research integrates research and education by involving undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students. Children from Kamehameha Schools on the Big Island of Hawaii will be involved through a web-based science laboratory on the genetics of song inheritance. Genome resources will also be developed to bridge non-model genomes in model species.