OPUS: Experimental Evolution of a Complex Trait in a Vertebrate Model Organism

生物学中的一个基本问题涉及复杂的特征，如行为，如何在几代人之间以协调的方式进化。解决这个问题的一个有效方法是通过人工选择实验。这个项目将通过总结和综合20多年的研究来探索复杂性状的进化，这些研究涉及为高水平自愿锻炼而培育的小鼠复制系。该项目将产生两个主要产品，一本书和一个具有可搜索的主题数据库、可用数据和可用组织样本的网络资源。这种产品的组合将确保公众以及科学家都可以访问这个知识库。通过扩展进化遗传学和生物生物学一般领域的科学知识，这本书、网页和数据将成为研究界的宝贵资源。这项长期研究的综合还将有助于我们对身体活动水平的生物控制的总体理解，因此可能对人类健康和福祉以及动物福利具有重要影响。其他更广泛的影响包括对将参加综合活动的研究生的培训。还将为现有的YouTube频道制作针对公众的短视频。数据将来自对四个重复的High Runner小鼠品系和四个未选择的对照品系的80多代选择性繁殖的研究。这一长期数据集为综合研究生物组织的多个层次的进化提供了独特的机会，这是细菌等更简单的有机体所不可能做到的。这些独特的小鼠品系构成了历史上最具特征的脊椎动物选择实验，但整个知识体系从未被合成并以可访问的形式呈现。综合活动中涉及的主题包括：适应、人工选择、行为进化第一假说、共适应、约束、成本、涌现特性、上位性、主效基因、遗传结构、遗传同化、遗传漂移、基因-表型图、杂交活力、近亲繁殖衰退、生活史进化和衰老、遗传变异的维持、多重解决、可塑性、多效性、种群分化、进化的可预测性、数量遗传学、数量性状基因座、权衡、无意选择和个体水平的变异。几个大型数据集将被汇编，并首次公开提供。该项目将支持研究生培训，并强调公众宣传。

A basic question in biology concerns how complex traits, such as behavior, evolve in a coordinated manner across generations. A powerful way to address this question is through artificial selection experiments. This project will explore the evolution of complex traits by summarizing and synthesizing more than two decades of research involving replicate lines of mice that were bred for high levels of voluntary exercise. The project will result in two main products, a book and a web resource with a searchable data base of topics, available data, and available tissue samples. This combination of products will ensure this knowledge base is accessible to the general public, as well as to scientists. The book, web page, and data will be valuable resources for the research community by expanding scientific knowledge in the general areas of evolutionary genetics and organismal biology. Synthesis of this long-term research will also contribute to our general understanding of the biological control of levels of physical activity, and so may have important implications for human health and well-being, as well as animal welfare. Additional broader impacts include the training of graduate students, who will participate in the synthetic activities. Short videos targeting the public will also be created for an existing YouTube channel.Data will be synthesized from research involving more than 80 generations of selective breeding in four replicate High Runner lines of mice, and four non-selected control lines. This long-term data set provides unique opportunities for integrative study of evolution across multiple levels of biological organization in ways that are not possible with simpler organisms, such as bacteria. These unique lines of mice constitute the best-characterized vertebrate selection experiment in history, but the overall body of knowledge has never been synthesized and presented in an accessible format. Examples of topics to be addressed in the synthetic activities include: adaptation, artificial selection, behavior evolves first hypothesis, coadaptation, constraints, costs, emergent properties, epistasis, genes of major effect, genetic architecture, genetic assimilation, genetic drift, genotype-phenotype map, hybrid vigor, inbreeding depression, life history evolution and aging, maintenance of genetic variation, multiple solutions, plasticity, pleiotropy, population differentiation, predictability of evolution, quantitative genetics, quantitative trait loci, trade-offs, unintentional selection, and variation at the individual level. Several large data sets will be compiled and made publicly available for the first time. The project will support graduate student training and emphasizes public outreach.