CAREER: Evolution of individual identity - processes shaping shaping phenotypic and genetic diversity in animal recognition systems

我们从人类的外表知道，身体的变化是识别个体的关键。对动物个体外貌的识别可能会对选择配偶产生影响，从而也会影响物种的进化轨迹。 一方面，进化通常被认为减少了物种内个体外观的变化。另一方面，当进化促进识别时，它已经被证明有利于个性。 该项目旨在通过对纸黄蜂的实验，更好地理解这些看似截然不同的进化结果，纸黄蜂是通常用于研究行为进化的昆虫。 这项研究将集中在一种具有高度个体化面部模式的纸黄蜂物种上，并研究面部变异如何在其基因中编码，如何维持，以及有利于个体的自然选择在多大程度上有助于种群分化以创造新物种。该项目还将通过与纽约州伊萨卡科学中心和当地州立公园系统的合作来促进科学教育。拟议的工作将研究选择和人口统计过程，这些过程塑造了一种独特的易驾驭的纸黄蜂的多样性模式。的颜色模式的Polistes fuscatus黄蜂介导的共同筑巢皇后之间的个人识别，并显示出显着的变化内和种群之间。先前的研究已经证明，黑腹拟步行虫的颜色模式多样性是个体选择的结果，以宣传自己的身份并促进识别。极端的颜色图案多样性，相对简单的遗传结构的颜色变化，小的基因组大小和丰富的人口使这些黄蜂的理想解决的基本问题，在识别系统中的表型和遗传多样性的维护。这个强大的系统将被用来调查四个主要课题，使用比较，人口和功能基因组学的方法，再加上详细的标本表型相结合：（1）什么是个体身份信号的遗传结构？(2)表型多样性和遗传结构如何相互作用以决定遗传多样性的模式？(3)选择性和人口统计学力量在形成表型多样性模式中的作用是什么？(4)识别系统上的选择是否会导致在时间和空间上保持多样性的变化或快速更替？该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为是值得通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估的支持。

As we know from human appearance, physical variation is essential for recognizing individuals. Recognition of individual appearance in animals can have consequences for choosing a mate, and consequently the trajectory of a species' evolution, as well. On the one hand, evolution is typically believed to reduce the variation of individual appearance within a species. On the other, evolution has been shown to favor individuality when it promotes recognition. This project seeks to better understand these seemingly contrasting consequences of evolution through experiments with paper wasps, insects commonly used to study the evolution of behavior. The research will focus on a paper wasp species with highly individual facial patterns, and investigates how facial variation is encoded in its genes, how it is maintained, and to what extent natural selection favoring individuality contributes to divergence of populations to create new species. This project will also promote science education through a collaboration with the Sciencenter of Ithaca, NY and the local state park system.The proposed work will study the selective and demographic processes shaping patterns of diversity in a uniquely tractable paper wasp. The color patterns of Polistes fuscatus wasps mediate individual recognition among co-nesting queens and show dramatic variation both within and between populations. Previous work has demonstrated that the color pattern diversity in P. fuscatus is the result of selection for individuals to advertise their identity and facilitate recognition. The extreme color pattern diversity, relatively simple genetic architecture of color variation, small genome size and abundant populations make these wasps ideal for addressing fundamental questions regarding the maintenance of phenotypic and genetic diversity in recognition systems. This powerful system will be used to investigate four major topics using a combination of comparative, population and functional genomics approaches coupled with detailed phenotyping of specimens: (1) What is the genetic architecture of individual identity signals? (2) How do phenotypic diversity and genetic architecture interact to determine patterns of genetic diversity? (3) What are the roles of selective and demographic forces in shaping patterns of phenotypic diversity? (4) Does selection on recognition systems lead to the maintenance of variation or rapid turnover in diversity across time and space?This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.