Genetic Drift Versus Genetic Draft in Holarctic Ducks: Is the Assumption of Selective Neutrality Violated by Non-coding Nuclear DNA?

使用DNA序列来研究种群历史越来越受欢迎，但许多方法假设所研究的DNA不受自然选择的影响。因此，科学家们经常关注不编码蛋白质的DNA，并认为它们不受选择的影响。然而，这种假设可能是错误的。该项目将研究选择对非编码DNA的影响，并评估各种方法对这一问题的敏感性。从20个独立的区域的DNA样本从6个共分布的物种的全北极鸭的序列将进行比较，模拟数据没有selection.Results从这项研究将是广泛适用的，因为非编码DNA通常用于设置保护和管理的优先级，研究物种对气候变化的反应，并了解生态学和自然历史。此外，这六个物种有一个环极分布，我们的项目包括许多鸟类从北极阿拉斯加和俄罗斯。研究结果将提供基线数据，用于审查对不断变化的环境的反应;例如，气候变化可能导致一个物种的减少和两个物种的扩大。最后，该项目将为博士后培训，本科研究，中学教育推广以及扩大美国和俄罗斯科学家之间的长期合作提供机会。

Using DNA sequences to study population history is growing in popularity, but many methods assume the DNA studied is not influenced by natural selection. Thus, scientists often focus on DNA that does not code for proteins and is assumed to be free from selection. However, this assumption may be faulty. This project will examine the influence of selection on non-coding DNA and will evaluate the sensitivity of various methods to this problem. Sequences from twenty independent regions of DNA sampled from six co-distributed species of Holarctic ducks will be compared to data simulated without selection.Results from this study will be broadly applicable, as non-coding DNA is often used for setting conservation and management priorities, studying species' responses to climate change, and understanding ecology and natural history. Also, the six species have a circumpolar distribution, and our project includes many birds from Arctic Alaska and Russia. Results will provide baseline data for examining responses to changing environments; for example, climate change may be contributing to the decline of one species and the expansion of two. Finally, this project will provide opportunities for postdoctoral training, undergraduate research, secondary education outreach, and expansion of a long-term collaboration between US and Russian scientists.