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

生物学中的一个基本问题是关于复杂的特征，如行为，如何以协调的方式在几代人之间进化。解决这个问题的一个有效方法是通过人工选择实验。该项目将通过总结和综合二十多年的研究来探索复杂性状的演变，这些研究涉及为高水平自愿运动而饲养的小鼠的复制系。该项目将产生两个主要产品，一本书和一个网络资源与主题，可用数据和可用组织样本的可搜索数据库。这种产品组合将确保公众和科学家都能使用这一知识库。这本书，网页和数据将是宝贵的资源，为研究界扩大科学知识的一般领域的进化遗传学和有机体生物学。这项长期研究的综合也将有助于我们对身体活动水平的生物控制的一般理解，因此可能对人类健康和福祉以及动物福利产生重要影响。其他更广泛的影响包括培训将参加综合活动的研究生。针对公众的短视频也将在现有的YouTube频道上制作。数据将从涉及80多代选择性育种的研究中合成，这些育种涉及四个重复的High Runner小鼠品系和四个非选择性对照品系。这一长期数据集为跨多个生物组织水平的进化综合研究提供了独特的机会，而这对于细菌等更简单的生物体来说是不可能的。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，但整体知识从未被综合并以可访问的格式呈现。综合活动中要处理的专题的例子包括：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，主要效应基因，遗传结构，遗传同化，遗传漂变，基因型-表型图，杂种优势，近交衰退，生活史进化和衰老，遗传变异的维持，多解，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。将汇编若干大型数据集，并首次向公众提供。该项目将支持研究生培训，并强调公共外联。

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.