EAGER: The evolution of anti-predator defenses in tortoise beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae)

“逃逸和辐射”的进化假说假定，当一个物种发展出一种新的防御敌人（捕食者或寄生虫）的方法时，这会导致更快的物种形成，至少直到敌人物种（或新的敌人物种）适应绕过这种防御。另一种新的防御特征的进化重新设定了循环，最终导致物种在进化过程中的积累。有人认为，这种进化过程是普遍存在的，不仅可以在植物-草食动物的相互作用中找到，而且可以在许多其他生态协会中找到，在那里它也可以在进化过程中促进新的生物多样性的创造。尽管这一假设在理论上很重要，但新的防御特征刺激新物种多样化的证据有限。本研究将使用一组物种丰富的食草甲虫和一套创新的现场生物测定方法来验证这一假设。 这项工作将解决新的防御特征在对抗捕食者的效率上是狭窄的还是广泛的，以及新的防御特征的进化是否与物种形成率的增加相关。该项目及其产生的新数据有望改变植物-昆虫相互作用的系统研究。 了解防御性状的进化可以揭示有关昆虫物种形成模式的重要和新颖的信息，这对农业，入侵物种控制和维持生物多样性非常重要。该项目还将支持三名本科生的研究培训，并将通过公共资源广泛传播数据、标本和图像。该项目将提供一项创新研究，将联合收割机遗传学、化学生态学和生物测定性能实验结合在一种综合方法中，使PI能够检测：（i）由于新的或更有效的防御特征的进化，猎物物种形成率增加;以及（ii）通过新型防御获取的多元化机制是否与广谱防御相关，还是与狭义的，高度特异性的反掠食者适应这项研究将大大推进我们对新的防御性状进化和猎物多样化之间关系的宏观进化过程的理解，并将为未来的研究提供一套研究工具

The evolutionary hypothesis of 'escape and radiation' posits that when a species develops a novel defense against its enemies (predators or parasites) this results in more rapid speciation, at least until the enemy species (or new enemy species) adapt to circumvent this defense. The evolution of yet another novel defensive trait resets the cycle anew, which ultimately results in the accumulation of species over evolutionary time. It has been suggested that this evolutionary processes is ubiquitous and can be found not only in plant-herbivore interactions but also in many other ecological associations, where it may likewise foster creation of new biodiversity over evolutionary time. Despite the theoretical importance of this hypothesis, evidence is limited that novel defense traits spurs the diversification of new species. This study will test this hypothesis using a species rich group of plant-eating beetles and an innovative set of field bioassay methods. The work will address whether novel defensive traits are narrow or broad in efficiency against predators, and whether the evolution of novel defense traits is correlated with increased rates of speciation. This project and the novel data it will produce, promise to transform systematic study of plant-insect interactions. Understanding defense trait evolution can reveal important and novel information about speciation patterns in insects, which can be important for agriculture, invasive species control, and sustaining biodiversity. This project will also support the research training of three undergraduates, and data, specimens, and images will be disseminated broadly via publicly accessible resources.This project will provide an innovative study that will combine phylogenetics, chemical ecology, and bioassay performance experiments in an integrated approach that will enable the PIs to detect: (i) increased prey speciation rates due to the evolution of novel or more potent defensive traits; and (ii) whether the mechanism of diversification via novel defense acquisition is associated with broad-spectrum defenses, or with narrow, highly specific anti-predator adaptations. This study will significantly advance our understanding of the macroevolutionary processes that underlie the relationship between novel defensive trait evolution and prey diversification and will provide a suite of research tools for future investigations