Collaborative Research: Genetic and Divergence Mapping of Barriers to Gene Flow Across a Butterfly Hybrid Zone

了解新物种形成（物种形成）的过程是现代生物学的核心。物种通常被认为是与其他同类群体生殖隔离的动物群体。该合作项目将以两种燕尾蝴蝶——凤蝶（Papilio glaucus）和加拿大凤蝶（P. canadensis），以及这两种蝴蝶杂交的离散区（杂交区）作为模型系统，研究生殖隔离的遗传基础。这两个物种在与性染色体相关的几个重要的生态特征上有所不同，但仍然有部分能力形成可育的杂交后代。这些特征允许在这些生态差异的背景下研究这些物种之间生殖隔离的遗传学。这项研究将产生凤蝶x染色体的遗传图谱，并将确定x染色体上与生态重要特征相关的区域。杂交区的自然选择在多大程度上阻止了与这些性状密切相关的物种间遗传物质的交换，这一点有待检验。凤蝶燕尾蝶是北美常见且容易识别的蝴蝶，将作为物种形成研究的公共工具。这项工作将为蝴蝶和飞蛾研究人员提供重要的遗传资源。通过提出的研究获得的见解将广泛适用于了解各种植物和动物群体的物种形成。此外，将开发和提供公开可用的软件，以促进其他研究人员对物种形成的研究。

Understanding the process of how new species form (speciation) is central to modern biology. Species are most commonly identified as groups of animals that are reproductively isolated from other such groups. This collaborative project will use two swallowtail butterfly species, Papilio glaucus and P. canadensis, and a discrete zone where hybrids of these two species can be found (a hybrid zone), as a model system to study the genetic basis of reproductive isolation. These two species differ in several ecologically important traits that are linked to their sex chromosomes, yet are still partly capable of forming fertile hybrids. These features allow study of the genetics of reproductive isolation between these species in the context of these ecological differences. The research will produce a genetic map of the Papilio X-chromosome and will identify regions of the X-chromosome that are linked to ecologically important traits. The degree to which natural selection in the hybrid zone prevents between-species exchanges of genetic material that is closely linked to these traits will be tested.Papilio swallowtails are a common and easily recognizable butterfly in North America, and will serve as a publicly accessible tool for the study of speciation. This work will significantly contribute to genetic resources for butterfly and moth researchers. Insights gained by the proposed research will be broadly applicable to understanding speciation in a wide variety of plant and animal groups. In addition, publicly available software will be developed and made available to facilitate the study of speciation by other researchers.