CAREER: Genomic and Morphological Divergence During Speciation in a Hyper-Diverse Marine Fish Clade

该奖项部分由2021年美国救援计划法案（公法117-2）资助。了解产生生物多样性的进化机制对于物种的长期保护和管理至关重要。地球上的生物多样性大部分是通过适应性辐射产生的，在这个过程中，一群生物分化成许多具有不同生态作用的新物种。然而，我们对这些事件背后的基因组变化缺乏透彻的了解，特别是在没有明显迁移障碍的海洋生态系统中。岩鱼属是一种高度多样化（110种）的鱼类，它们生活在各种深度和栖息地，使它们成为研究多样化动态的绝佳模型。这个CAREER项目将通过检查岩鱼物种形成的基因组过程，以及伴随的栖息地、体型、大小和姐妹物种颜色的变化，促进我们对物种多样性的理解。该研究项目与教育活动相结合，包括本科生研究机会和教师培训，目标是为科学和工程领域提供强大而多样化的劳动力。这项研究将基因组数据与表型多样性、生态学和生物地理学信息相结合，以全面了解这个物种丰富的属的多样化动态。该项目的第一个目标是使用系统基因组学方法构建一个更新的、时间校准的岩鱼系统发育框架。在第二个目标中，全基因组测序将用于推断同域物种对之间可能的分化情景，表征基因组分化模式，并在物种形成事件和海洋学数据的背景下重建谱系的人口统计学历史。第三个目标将检查基因组和生态形态差异之间的对应关系，通过评估姐妹物种之间的重叠，跨越一套栖息地因素和定量表型特征。这些研究目标将通过开发一套基于课堂的本科生研究经验，以及创建一个以生物多样性和进化遗传学为重点的学习和指导社区，与教育目标相结合。该项目还将通过聘用和培训职前教师了解进化生物学和研究原理，支持农村社区K12 STEM教师的发展。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。

This award is funded in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).Understanding the evolutionary mechanisms that generate biodiversity is crucial for conserving and managing species over the long term. Much of the planet’s biodiversity has been generated through adaptive radiation, a process in which a group of organisms diversifies into many new species with different ecological roles. However, we lack a thorough understanding of the genomic changes underlying these events, particularly in marine ecosystems where there are no obvious barriers to migration. Rockfishes in the genus Sebastes are a highly diverse (110 species) group of fishes that live across a range of depths and habitats, making them an excellent model for studying the dynamics of diversification. This CAREER project will advance our understanding of how species diversify by examining the genomic processes underlying speciation in rockfishes, as well as the accompanying shifts in habitat, body shape, size and color among sister species. This research program is integrated with educational activities, including undergraduate research opportunities and teacher training, with the goal of contributing to a strong and diverse workforce in science and engineering. This study will combine genomic data with information on phenotypic diversity, ecology and biogeography to develop a holistic understanding of the dynamics of diversification in this extraordinarily species-rich genus. The first aim of the project is to construct an updated, time-calibrated phylogenetic framework for rockfishes using phylogenomic methods. In the second aim, whole genome sequencing will be used to infer likely divergence scenarios among sympatric species pairs, characterize patterns of genomic differentiation, and reconstruct demographic histories of lineages in the context of speciation events and oceanographic data. The third aim will examine the correspondence between genomic and ecomorphological divergence by assessing overlap between sister species across a suite of habitat factors and quantitative phenotypic characters. These research aims will be integrated with educational objectives via the development of a scaffolded set of classroom-based undergraduate research experiences, and the creation of a learning and mentoring community focused around biodiversity and evolutionary genetics. The project will also support the development of K12 STEM teachers in rural communities by engaging and training pre-service teachers in the principles of evolutionary biology and research.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.