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

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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.