Collaborative Research: RUI: Strong tests of life history theory using experimental reduction of embryo energy content in diverse marine invertebrates

生物学家研究生命史策略的进化，检查特征之间的权衡，以了解自然选择如何发挥作用，以最大限度地提高生殖成功率。一个基本的权衡发生在后代的大小和数量之间：一个生物体可以产生许多小的后代，也可以只产生几个大的后代。有大量的理论可以解释这些策略如何影响繁殖成功率，但在动物身上，这个理论的测试只在两种动物身上进行过：脊椎动物和海胆。拟议的研究使用实验胚胎学技术在一个更多样化的动物套件中测试理论，包括三个主要的双侧对称动物谱系中的两个成员：后口动物（半足动物和棘皮动物）和光虫动物（环节动物、扁虫和软体动物）。拟议的工作将两所机构的研究和教育结合起来，重点是为学生提供有意义的研究经验。这笔赠款将支持开发一系列基于网络的课程计划，供任何高等教育机构采用。这些课程计划将通过在两所学校的初级和高级生物学课程中进行的一系列试点项目来发展。该基金将为8-10名本科生和1名研究生提供直接支持，而课程计划将为数百名其他学生提供课堂研究机会。

Biologists studying the evolution of life history strategies examine trade-offs between traits to understand how natural selection acts to maximize reproductive success. One fundamental trade-off occurs between the size and number of offspring: an organism can produce many small offspring, or just a few large offspring. There is a large body of theory explaining how these strategies affect reproductive success, but in animals, tests of this theory have been done in only two groups: vertebrates and sea urchins. The proposed research uses experimental embryological techniques to test theory in a much more diverse suite of animals, including members of two of the three major lineages of bilaterally symmetric animals: deuterostomes (hemichordates and echinoderms) and lophotrochozoans (annelids, flatworms, and molluscs). The proposed work integrates research and education at two institutions focused on providing meaningful student research experiences. The grant will support the development of a series of web-based lesson plans that will be made available for adoption by any institution of higher learning. These lesson plans will be developed through a series of pilot programs run during introductory and upper level biology classes at both institutions. The grant will provide direct support for 8-10 undergraduates and one graduate student, while lesson plans will provide in-class research opportunities for hundreds of additional students.