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

生物学家们已经了解了许多关于发育和基因变化的知识，这些变化对于促进渐进的进化修改是必要的。例如，关于使腿或翅膀变长，或使眼睛在特定环境中变得更有效率的遗传和发育基础，人们知道得很多。然而，关于腿、翅膀或眼睛等主要复杂特征最初是如何产生的，人们仍然知之甚少。怎样才能从一个失去肢体和失明的祖先进化出第一个肢体、翅膀或眼睛呢？这项研究以甲虫独特的、多样的和形态壮观的角为焦点特征，探讨了新性状的起源和多样性。甲壳虫的角是在其他昆虫不会产生突起的身体区域产生的，形状和大小高度不同，并赋予它们的持有者生态上重要的功能：一种武器，用于雄性与雌性之间的竞争。因此，甲壳虫的角提供了一个极好的机会来研究遗传和发育手段，新的特征是通过这些手段产生的，并随着一组生物的多样化而被详细阐述。具体地说，这项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)和最近进化的新型附属物(如角)的生长、形状和位置的调节。在这样做的过程中，这项研究的目的是确定新的基因和发展途径，或现有基因和途径的再利用和修改，或这两种选择的组合，在多大程度上促进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基本的、尚未解决的问题：如何在祖先变异的范围内产生自然界的新颖性。最后，这项研究与几项教育和外展工作密切相关。(1)利用与当地科学、健康和技术儿童博物馆的合作，这项研究将在3年的时间里帮助向大约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)这项研究将有助于培养至少8名青年科学家(6名本科生，1名研究生，1名博士后)进行密集的跨学科研究。(3)最后，它将促进教育外展，帮助招聘6名高中教师和6名少数民族高中生参加暑期研究沉浸，并向他们介绍发展、进化和生态方面的研究。

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.