Dissertation Research: Evolutionary complexity and diversity of chemical defenses in diurnal and nocturnal fireflies

这项研究将为了解与其他生态策略相关的复杂化学多样性的起源和维持提供见解。反掠食者防御通常由多个部分组成，作为一个单一的单元。两个关键问题是：(1)哪些因素有利于特定的防御特征？(2)这些策略是如何整合到表型中的？萤火虫的化学防御为评估这些问题提供了一个很好的系统。萤火虫主要以生物发光闪光而闻名，但大多数萤火虫也会产生不同的毒素混合物，这些毒素的化学结构和浓度各不相同。然而，人们对萤火虫的化学多样性，以及它和一般复杂特征是如何进化的知之甚少。例如，昼夜活动之间的变化（以及相关的生物发光的丧失或增加）是否伴随着化学防御进化的变化？本研究将量化萤火虫系统发育中化学防御的多样性，并使用比较方法来估计化学表型的变化率和趋同和分化模式。这个项目将通过一个最喜欢的昆虫来教育公众关于昆虫的生态和进化、夜间生活和生物发光的渠道。此外，药物发现是一项价值数十亿美元的生意，药物化学家早就认识到，进化产生了一些最有效、最有利可图的药物。然而，科学家们仍然不了解化学多样性起源和维持背后的机制。深入了解这个问题将有助于指导下一代药物化学。

This research will provide insight into the origin and maintenance of complex chemical diversity associated with alternative ecological strategies. Antipredator defenses often consist of multiple parts functioning as a single unit. Two key questions are: (1) What factors favor particular defensive traits? (2) How are these strategies integrated into the phenotype? Chemical defenses in fireflies provide an excellent system for evaluating these questions. Fireflies are primarily known for bioluminescent flashing, but most also make diverse blends of toxins that vary in chemical structure and concentration. Yet, little is known about firefly chemical diversity, and how it-and complex traits in general-evolve. For example, are shifts between diurnal and nocturnal activity (and associated loss or gain of bioluminescence) accompanied by changes in chemical defense evolution? This research will quantify the diversity of chemical defenses across the firefly phylogeny and use comparative methods to estimate rates of change and patterns of convergence and divergence of chemical phenotypes.This project will create outlets to educate the public about the ecology and evolution of insects, nocturnal life, and bioluminescence via a favorite insect. Moreover, drug discovery is a billion dollar business, and pharmaceutical chemists have long recognized that evolution has produced some of the most effective and profitable drugs ever. However, scientists still do not understand the mechanisms behind the origin and maintenance of chemical diversity. Insight into this question will help guide the next generation of pharmaceutical chemistry.