Origin, diversification, and integration of nutrition-dependent development in horned beetles

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The forms and functions of organisms and their parts emerge in development through the interactions between genetic inputs and environmental conditions. Changes in form and function, whether during development or evolution, must arise through changes in these interactions. This research seeks to identify and characterize which genes and developmental processes that (a) enable the differentiation of males and females, and (b) facilitate development in high and low nutritional conditions. Lastly (c), it investigates how changes in the interactions between gender- and nutrition-specific development allow the same traits in males and females to exhibit different responses to nutrition. These objectives are addressed by advancing the study of a specific group of insects famous for how their development and evolution have been shaped by gender- and environment-specific differentiation: horned beetles. Horned beetle species differ greatly in the extent of male-female dimorphism (ranging from none to extreme) as well as nutrition-induced differences (ranging from none to gradual to discrete, akin to caste differences in ants and bees). Most importantly, horned beetles are easily kept in captivity and amenable to experimental analysis, including genetic manipulations and genome-wide expression studies. This research uses these approaches to investigate regulation and evolution of gender- and nutrition-dependent growth and differentiation. In so doing it addresses a fundamental, long-standing, and largely unresolved question in biology: how do genetic, developmental, and environmental mechanisms interact to shape the formation, integration, and diversification of complex traits?This research interfaces tightly with several educational and outreach efforts. (1) Using a collaboration with a local children's museum this research will help provide training and educational resources in insect biology to approximately 200 local and regional K-12 teachers over the course of 3 years. (2) This research will help train at least 8 young scientists in intensive interdisciplinary research. (3) Lastly, it will facilitate educational outreach by helping recruit 8 high school teachers and 8 minority high school students for summer research immersion and introduce them to research in genetics, development, and evolution.