Genomics of repeatedly evolving color diversity in the polymorphic Hawaiian happy face spider

进化生物学的一个主要挑战是理解多样性的分子基础。这个项目应用了比较基因组学的最新进展，包括全基因组序列扫描、连锁作图和候选基因，以解决图案丰富的夏威夷笑脸蜘蛛不同颜色模式的进化。笑脸蜘蛛具有平衡的遗传颜色多态，其遗传模式在夏威夷链上的岛屿之间有所不同。因此，尽管各岛屿颜色形式的集合和频率相似，但不同岛屿上的颜色多样性是独立出现的。这项研究将确定岛屿之间差异的基因组基础，从而确定重建颜色多样性的机制。这项研究将提供对进化史上多样性的分子起源的洞察，还将产生任何蜘蛛的第一个基因组序列和表达的基因数据。蜘蛛的可见和基因控制的颜色多态为教授遗传学和分子进化中的复杂概念提供了一个令人信服的背景。与夏威夷笑脸蜘蛛平行的系统也出现在其他地方(包括加利福尼亚州)，并将与正在进行的科学教育项目合作，支持使用当地蜘蛛的教学工具的开发。

A major challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand the molecular basis of diversification. This project applies recent advances in comparative genomics, including genome-wide sequence scanning, linkage mapping, and candidate genes, to address the evolution of diverse color patterns in the exuberantly patterned Hawaiian happy face spider. The happy face spider has a balanced genetic color polymorphism for which the mode of inheritance differs between islands in the Hawaiian chain. Accordingly, despite similar sets and frequencies of color forms across islands, the color diversity has arisen independently on different islands. This research will identify the genomic basis for the differences between islands, and hence the mechanism through which color diversity has been recreated. The research will provide insights into the molecular origins of diversity during evolutionary history and also will produce the first genome sequence and expressed gene data for any spider. The visible and genetically controlled color polymorphism of spiders provides a compelling context for teaching complex concepts in genetics and molecular evolution. Parallel systems to that of the Hawaiian happy face spider occur elsewhere (including California) and will be used to support the development of teaching tools using local spiders in collaboration with an on-going science education project.