EAR-PF: Unraveling the Convergent Origins of Secondary Palates in Amniotes

Zachary S.Morris博士已获得NSF EAR博士后奖学金，在Bhart-Anjan S.Bhullar博士的指导下在耶鲁大学开展研究和推广活动。在化石记录中观察到的趋同进化，或相似特征的独立派生，可以说是自然选择进化的最大证据。然而，趋同进化是如何发生的，为什么会发生，人们往往没有很好的描述。羊膜动物(爬行动物、哺乳动物和鸟类)的次级上颚是汇聚进化的一个引人注目的、但研究较少的例子，它完全重建了口腔的顶部，影响了进食和呼吸。这个项目将整合化石记录和发育过程的分析，以了解上颚进化的时间和模式，并增加我们对推动趋同进化这一重要现象的机制的理解。该项目是一个理想的平台，用于指导学生，开展课堂和公共讲座，以及关于化石记录和进化变化发展机制的宣传和教育。在化石记录中，活着的羊膜动物及其灭绝的近亲展示了令人震惊的一系列味觉专门化，反映了3亿多年来在解剖学、饮食和行为方面的进化专门化。在祖先时期，羊膜上颚允许鼻道向前进入口腔，但哺乳动物、鳄鱼、一些蜥蜴和海龟已经独立地形成了僵化的次级上颚，将呼吸和嗅觉功能与食物的获取和处理分开。本项目将使用化石记录的定量分析和现代进化建模以及最先进的胚胎解剖学3D成像来解决两个主要研究问题：1)羊膜腭部形状是如何进化的，以及次级腭部融合是如何实现的？2)如何改变上颌发育以允许二次上颌汇聚？通过在宏观进化和发育两个不同的尺度上研究上颌形态的变化，本项目的结果将揭示收敛进化现象背后的基本发育和进化机制。莫里斯博士将通过耶鲁皮博迪博物馆为本科生和研究生开发教育材料，并开展公共推广活动。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Dr. Zachary S. Morris has been granted an NSF EAR postdoctoral fellowship to conduct research and outreach activities at Yale University under the mentorship of Dr. Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar. Convergent evolution, or the independent derivation of similar features, as observed in the fossil record is arguably the greatest evidence of evolution by natural selection. However, how and why convergent evolution has happened is often poorly characterized. One striking, and understudied, example of convergent evolution is that of the secondary palate in amniotes (reptiles, mammals, and birds), which completely restructures the roof of the mouth and affects both feeding and breathing. This project will integrate analyses of the fossil record and developmental processes, to understand the timing and pattern of palate evolution and increase our understanding of the mechanisms driving the important phenomenon of convergent evolution. This project is an ideal platform for the mentorship of students, the development of classroom and public lectures, and outreach and education about the fossil record and developmental mechanisms of evolutionary change. Living amniotes and their extinct relatives in the fossil record display an astounding array of palate specializations, reflecting over 300 million years of evolutionary specialization in anatomy, diet, and behavior. Ancestrally the amniote palate allows the nasal passage to open into the mouth anteriorly, but mammals, crocodilians, and some lizards and turtles have independently derived an ossified secondary palate that segregates respiratory and olfactory functions from food acquisition and processing. This project will use quantitative analysis of the fossil record and modern evolutionary modeling with state-of-the-art imaging of embryonic anatomy in 3D to address two major research questions: 1) how has amniote palate shape evolved and secondary palate convergence been achieved? and 2) how has palate development changed to allow secondary palate convergence? By studying palate shape change at two distinct scales, macroevolutionary and developmental, the results of this project will reveal insights into the fundamental developmental and evolutionary mechanism that underlie the phenomenon of convergent evolution. Dr. Morris will develop educational materials for undergraduate and graduate students as well as public outreach activities through the Yale Peabody Museum.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.