Integrating Evolution and Development of Novelty and Diversity through the Study of Horned Beetles

通过角甲虫的研究整合新颖性和多样性的进化和发展

• 批准号: 1120209
• 负责人: Armin Moczek
• 金额: $ 61.7万
• 依托单位: Indiana University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-01-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1120209&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Integrating; Evolution; Development; Novelty; Diversity

Biologists have learned a great deal about the developmental and genetic changes that are necessary to facilitate gradual evolutionary modifications. For instance, much is known about the genetic and developmental basis that enable legs or wings to become longer, or eyes to become more efficient in a given environment. However, little remains known about how major complex traits, such as legs, wings or eyes, originate in the first place. What does it take to evolve the first limb, or wing, or eye, from a limbless and blind ancestor? This research investigates the origin and diversification of novel traits using the unique, diverse and morphologically spectacular horns of beetles as focal traits. Beetle horns are produced in body regions in which other insects do not produce outgrowths, are highly variable in shape and size, and endow their bearers with an ecologically important function: a weapon to be used in combat between rival males over females. Beetle horns thus offer an outstanding opportunity to investigate the genetic and developmental means by which novel traits come into being and are elaborated upon as a group of organisms diversifies. Specifically, this research uses molecular genetic and developmental approaches to investigate the regulation of growth, shape, and positioning of traditional appendages (such as legs or wings) and recently evolved, novel appendages (such as horns). In doing so, this research aims to identify the degree to which innovation and diversification in nature are enabled by novel genes and developmental pathways, or the re-use and modification of existing genes and pathways, or combinations of these two alternatives. As such it addresses a fundamental, unresolved question in evolutionary and developmental biology: how novelty can arise in nature from within the confines of ancestral variation. Lastly, this research interfaces tightly with several educational and outreach efforts. (1) Using a collaboration with a local children's museum for science, health and technology this research will help provide training and educational resources in insect biology to approximately 180 local and regional K-12 teachers over the course of 3 years. (2) This research will help train at least 8 young scientists (6 undergraduate students, 1 graduate student, 1 postdoc) in intensive interdisciplinary research. (3) Lastly, it will facilitate educational outreach by helping recruit 6 high school teachers and 6 minority high school students for summer research immersion and introduce them to research in development, evolution, and ecology.

生物学家已经学到了很多关于促进逐渐进化的必要的发育和遗传变化。例如，对于使腿或翅膀变得更长，或使眼睛在特定环境中变得更有效率的遗传和发育基础，我们知道得很多。然而，对于诸如腿、翅膀或眼睛等主要复杂特征的起源，我们所知甚少。从一个无肢、失明的祖先进化出第一只肢体、翅膀或眼睛需要什么？本研究以甲虫独特、多样、形态壮观的角为中心性状，探讨了新性状的起源和多样化。甲虫的角长在其他昆虫不长出的身体部位，形状和大小变化很大，并赋予其持有者一种重要的生态功能：一种在敌对的雄性之间争夺雌性时使用的武器。因此，甲虫角提供了一个绝佳的机会来研究新性状形成的遗传和发育方式，并作为一组生物多样化而加以阐述。具体来说，本研究使用分子遗传学和发育方法来研究传统附属物（如腿或翅膀）和最近进化的新附属物（如角）的生长，形状和定位的调节。在这样做的过程中，本研究旨在确定通过新基因和发育途径，或再利用和修改现有基因和途径，或这两种选择的组合，在多大程度上实现了自然界的创新和多样化。因此，它解决了进化和发育生物学中一个根本的、尚未解决的问题：在祖先变异的范围内，自然界如何产生新颖性。最后，这项研究与一些教育和推广工作紧密结合。(1)通过与当地儿童科学、卫生和技术博物馆的合作，这项研究将在3年的时间里为大约180名当地和地区的K-12教师提供昆虫生物学方面的培训和教育资源。(2)本研究将培养至少8名青年科学家（6名本科生，1名研究生，1名博士后）进行跨学科的深入研究。(3)最后，它将促进教育推广，帮助招募6名高中教师和6名少数民族高中生进行暑期研究沉浸，并向他们介绍发展，进化和生态学的研究。