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

Zachary S. Morris博士获得了美国国家科学基金会EAR博士后奖学金，在Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar博士的指导下在耶鲁大学进行研究和推广活动。趋同进化，或相似特征的独立衍生，正如在化石记录中观察到的那样，可以说是自然选择进化的最有力证据。然而，趋同进化是如何发生的以及为什么发生的，往往没有得到很好的描述。趋同进化的一个引人注目但尚未得到充分研究的例子是羊膜动物（爬行动物、哺乳动物和鸟类）的次级上颚，它完全重组了上颚，并影响进食和呼吸。该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，并增加我们对驱动趋同进化这一重要现象的机制的理解。这个项目是一个理想的平台，可以指导学生，发展课堂和公开讲座，推广和教育化石记录和进化变化的发展机制。在化石记录中，现存的羊膜动物及其已灭绝的近亲显示出一系列令人震惊的上颚特化，反映了3亿多年来在解剖、饮食和行为方面的进化特化。祖先的羊膜上颚允许鼻腔向前打开，但哺乳动物、鳄鱼、一些蜥蜴和海龟独立地衍生出一个骨化的次级上颚，将呼吸和嗅觉功能与食物获取和加工分离开来。该项目将利用化石记录的定量分析和现代进化模型以及最先进的胚胎解剖三维成像来解决两个主要的研究问题：1)羊膜腭形状是如何进化的，次腭是如何融合的？2)上颚发育是如何改变以允许次上颚收敛的？通过在宏观进化和发育两个不同的尺度上研究味觉形状的变化，本项目的结果将揭示趋同进化现象背后的基本发育和进化机制。莫里斯博士将为本科生和研究生编写教材，并通过耶鲁皮博迪博物馆开展公共宣传活动。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。

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.