Selection in Heterogeneous Environments: a Multi-Trait Perspective

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案(公法111-5)资助的。几个世纪以来，雄性装饰品，如角、马刺和明亮的羽毛一直吸引着人类的注意。这些特征随着男性与男性的竞争和女性伴侣的偏好而演变。这个项目采用多学科、多特征的观点来确定先天(基因)和后天(环境)在这些角色进化中的相对作用。特别是，将研究基因和环境在男性表现的多个指标上的交互作用，以及环境变化对女性伴侣偏好的影响。仙人掌甲虫是这项研究的优秀物种，因为野生仙人掌幼虫生长在有果实和没有果实的仙人掌上。这种饮食上的差异影响了雄性对雌性的吸引力以及在仙人掌植物的领土竞争中使用的雄性武器(扩大的后腿)的发展。研究人员将培育有和没有仙人掌果实的昆虫，以检查基因和营养环境对雄性和雌性的影响和相互作用。这项工作将利用田间生态学、行为生态学、进化生物学和数量遗传学，提供迄今为止最全面的研究之一，将自然环境变化与雄性表现和雌性交配决定联系起来。这项研究将是理解环境变异性如何影响对这些特征的选择行为的重要一步。此外，这种研究合作的一个核心目标是对社会产生广泛、积极的影响。该项目将为研究生和本科生提供参与国际伙伴关系的机会，并使公众能够获得和参与研究成果。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Male ornaments, such as horns, spurs, and bright feathers have attracted the notice of humans for centuries. These traits evolved as the male-male competition and female partner preferences. This project employs a multi-disciplinary, multi-trait perspective to determine the relative roles of nature (genes) and nurture (environment) on the evolution of these characters. In particular, the interaction of genes and the environment on multiple metrics of male performance will be examined as well as the effects of environmental variation on the partner preferences of females. Narnia femorata, a cactus bug, is an excellent species for this research because juveniles in the wild grow up on cacti with and without fruits. This difference in diet affects male attractiveness to females and the development of male weapons (enlarged hind legs) used in territorial competition on cactus plants. The investigators will breed insects with and without cactus fruits to examine the influence and interactions of genes and nutritional environments for males and females. This work will draw on field ecology, behavioral ecology, evolutionary biology, and quantitative genetics to provide one of the most comprehensive studies to date linking natural environmental variation with male performance and female mating decisions. This research will be an important step in understanding how environmental variability influences the action of selection on these characters. In addition, a core objective of this research collaboration is to have broad, positive impacts on society. This project will provide opportunities for graduate students and undergraduates to become involved in an international partnership and will also make research results accessible and engaging to the general public.