DISSERTATION RESEARCH: MIMETIC DIVERGENCE AND THE EVOLUTION OF REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION IN THE MIMIC POISON FROG, RANITOMEYA IMITATOR

了解物种是如何形成的是了解生物多样性是如何产生的核心目标。物种形成可能受到多种原因的驱动，例如，单一物种适应不同的环境，这一过程称为生态物种形成。模拟辐射(当单个物种自适应地辐射以类似于不同的模式物种)代表了研究生态物种形成的理想情景。我们在一种秘鲁毒蛙中发现了一种拟态辐射，即Ranitomeya Mimitator，它在颜色模式上发生了差异，模仿了四个不相关的模式物种。本项目的目的是评估拟态分化是否导致了拟态拟态的不同个体之间的生殖隔离。为了测试这一点，这个项目将结合群体遗传分析、配偶选择实验和广告呼叫分析来评估模拟形态之间的生殖隔离。该项目可能通过确定形态差异是否是生殖隔离的预测因素，来帮助阐明生态物种形成是否以可预测的方式发生。这种被研究的物种，Ranitomeya模仿者，最近因其非凡的父母关爱策略而得到高度宣传，英国广播公司(？系列)和NHK(日本广播公司，目前正在制作中)。然而，令人惊讶的是，关于这个物种的研究很少？令人着迷的模仿系统，这可能是因为物种的这一方面几乎没有被研究过。由于模仿提供了一个如此强大的自然选择的视觉例子，这项研究可能有助于揭示这个物种的这一方面？生物学在公众的视线中。

Understanding how species form is a central goal for understanding how biodiversity is generated. Speciation may be driven by many causes, for example, by adaptation of a single species to distinct environments, a process known as ecological speciation. A mimetic radiation (when a single species adaptively radiates to resemble distinct model species) represents an ideal scenario for studying ecological speciation. We have identified a mimetic radiation in a species of Peruvian poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator, that has undergone divergence in color pattern to mimic four unrelated model species. The goal of this project is to assess whether mimetic divergence has led to reproductive isolation among different mimetic morphs of R. imitator. To test this, this project will assess reproductive isolation between mimetic morphs using a combination of population genetic analyses, mate choice experiments, and analyses of advertisement calls. This project may help elucidate whether ecological speciation occurs in a predictable way by identifying whether morphological divergence is a predictor of reproductive isolation. The study species, Ranitomeya imitator, has been highly publicized recently for its remarkable parental care strategies, both by the BBC (?Life in Cold Blood? series) and by the NHK (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, currently in production). However, surprisingly little has been made about this species? fascinating mimicry system, which may be because this aspect of the species has barely been studied. As mimicry provides such a visually powerful example of natural selection, this research may help bring this aspect of this species? biology to the public eye.