DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The ecology and evolution of morphological scaling

相对性状大小的变化是适应和多样化发生的主要机制。这项研究将严格测试的假设，选择生态性能产生了一个观察到的模式经常被引用为已知的适应最引人注目的案例之一。果蝇的翅膀大小各不相同，因此在较冷的环境中，苍蝇更大，翅膀不成比例地大。本研究将（1）对温暖和凉爽环境中的飞行性能进行人工选择，以进化出具有适合在每个温度下飞行的形态的苍蝇种群，（2）评估这些苍蝇在飞行和生存试验中的适应性，以及（3）确定对每个性状的选择强度和模式。此外，拟议的工作将涉及培训四名本科生，包括来自科学领域代表性不足的群体的个人。

Change in relative trait size is a primary mechanism by which adaptation and diversification occurs. This study will rigorously test the hypothesis that selection on ecological performance has produced an observed pattern frequently cited as one of the most compelling cases of adaptation known. Fruit flies vary in wing size such that in cooler environments flies are larger with disproportionately large wings. This study will (1) impose artificial selection on flight performance in warm and cool environments to evolve populations of flies possessing morphology suited to flight at each temperature, (2) assess the adaptive nature of the those flies in flight and survival assays, and (3) determine the strength and pattern of selection acting on each trait. In addition, the proposed work will involve the training of four undergraduates, including individuals from groups that are underrepresented in the sciences.