DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolutionary dynamics of female polymorphism: an invasive damselfly model

论文研究：雌性多态性的进化动力学：入侵豆娘模型

• 批准号: 1110695
• 负责人: Molly Cummings
• 金额: $ 1.5万
• 依托单位: University of Texas at Austin
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-04-15 至 2012-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1110695&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Evolutionary; dynamics; female

Female coloration is highly variable within many animal species. What maintains this diversity, and how can it inform our general understanding of evolution? While theory suggests that both sexual and natural selection might diversify female color, the role(s) of these mechanisms in female evolution have not been jointly tested within a single study system. Invasive populations of a damselfly, Ischnura ramburii provide unique opportunities to close this gap. Frequencies of I. ramburii female color morphs have changed dramatically since the colonization of Hawaii. Today, the frequencies of ?andromorph? females, which visually resemble males, are correlated with both invasive population densities and rainfall. Using experimental mesocosms constructed within invaded sites, the investigators will examine how male-female interactions and color morph performance (survival and fecundity) are influenced by morph frequency, by population density, and by the abiotic environment (rainfall). Outcomes will be used to determine how social and physical environments drive female color evolution, and to identify conditions that promote female diversity. In addition to identifying factors that maintain female variation in nature, the study will shed new light on how invasive populations evolve, suggesting novel strategies for mitigating invasions. Proposed work will provide unique research opportunities for several undergraduates, and findings will be shared with the public via the media, and through a series of highly successful outreach talks that the investigators co-founded in 2008.

雌性的颜色在许多动物物种中是非常不同的。是什么保持了这种多样性，它又如何让我们对进化有了大致的了解？虽然理论表明，性选择和自然选择都可能使女性肤色多样化，但这些机制在女性进化中的作用(S)还没有在一个单一的研究系统中得到联合测试。丹蝇的入侵种群为缩小这一差距提供了独特的机会。自从夏威夷被殖民以来，兰布里群岛雌性变色的频率发生了巨大的变化。今天，雄变形体的频率？雌性在外观上与雄性相似，与入侵种群密度和降雨量有关。利用在入侵地点构建的实验中胚层，研究人员将检查雌雄之间的相互作用和颜色形态表现(存活率和繁殖力)如何受到变形频率、种群密度和非生物环境(降雨)的影响。结果将被用来确定社会和自然环境如何推动女性颜色进化，并确定促进女性多样性的条件。除了确定维持女性自然界变异的因素外，这项研究还将为入侵种群如何进化提供新的线索，为减轻入侵提出新的策略。拟议的工作将为几名本科生提供独特的研究机会，研究结果将通过媒体和调查人员在2008年共同创建的一系列非常成功的外展会谈与公众分享。