NSFDEB-NERC: The evolutionary genomics of a major transition in evolution

今天的生命形式是数十亿年进化的累积结果。生物学家认识到，进化过程中有几个主要的转变是由更小、更简单的单位（如单细胞）聚集在一起形成更大、更复杂的形式（如生物体）。目前尚不清楚重大转变是逐渐发生还是很快发生。研究人员将测试这个基本问题，使用最新的遗传工具，应用于蜜蜂和黄蜂从独居社会生活的重大转变。通过比较独居、弱群居和高度群居的物种的整个基因组（所有DNA），该研究询问，主要的转变是基因组小的、渐进的变化还是快速变化的结果。因此，结果是基本性质的，产生关于自然界构建块的基本信息。该项目还将包括人数不足的少数民族受训人员的参与，以及大量的教育内容，目的是鼓励和使公众了解进化论。这将通过教育网站、视频、外联演讲和讲座以及参与研究人员组织的教育计划来实现。为了确定昆虫从独居生活到社会生活的主要转变是通过渐进还是间断的过程进化而来的，一个由美国和英国研究人员组成的合作团队将对多种蜜蜂和黄蜂产生可比较的全基因组数据集（包括染色体图谱的高质量基因组）。然后，他们将对整合的数据集进行严格的生物信息学分析，以检验两种截然不同的假设（渐进与间断）所做出的具体预测。除了社会的进化之外，一个更广泛的问题是，同样的模式和过程是否支持其他主要的进化转变。为了测试其他主要转变（例如，从单一到多细胞的转变，或无性向性的转变）的预测，研究人员将聚集一个理论学家和经验主义者的社区，他们在主要转变的理论和主要转变的经验性质方面具有统一的专业知识，以评估在主要转变中可能存在共同模式或过程的程度。综合这些信息，他们将制定一个跨学科的路线图，以确定通过共同进化路线进化的所有主要转变的程度，使他们能够评估生命复杂性中进化过程的普遍性。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并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，被认为值得支持。

Today's life forms are the accumulated result of billions of years of evolution. Biologists recognize several major transitions in evolution that resulted from smaller, simpler units (e.g., single cells) getting together to form larger, more complex forms (e.g., organisms). It is not known whether major transitions occur gradually or very quickly. The researchers will test this fundamental question, using the latest genetic tools applied to the major transition from solitary social living in bees and wasps. By comparing entire genomes (all of the DNA) of species that show solitary, weakly social, and highly social forms, the research asks whether major transitions are the result of small, gradual changes or rapid changes in the genome. The outcomes are therefore of a fundamental nature, generating basic information on the building blocks of the natural world. The project will also include involvement of underrepresented minority trainees, as well as a substantial educational components, with the aim of inspiring and engaging the public in an understanding of evolution. This will be accomplished through educational websites, videos, outreach presentations and lectures, as well as participation in educational programs organized by the researchers.To determine whether the major transition from solitary life to societies in insects evolved via gradual or punctuated processes, a collaborative team of US and UK researchers will generate comparable full genome datasets (high quality genomes including chromosomal maps) on multiple species of bees and wasps. They will then apply rigorous bioinformatic analyses on the consolidated datasets to test specific predictions made by the two contrasting hypotheses (gradual versus punctuated). Beyond the evolution of societies, a broader question is whether the same patterns and processes underpin other major evolutionary transitions. To test the predictions in other major transitions (e.g., the transition from single to multi-cellularity, or asexuality to sexuality) the researchers will draw together a community of theoreticians and empiricists with a united expertise in the theory of major transitions and the empirical nature of major transitions in order to evaluate the extent to which there may be common patterns or processes across major transitions. Synthesizing this information, they will develop a cross-disciplinary roadmap for determining the extent to which all major transitions evolved via common evolutionary routes, allowing them to evaluate the generality of evolutionary processes in the complexity of life.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.