BRC-BIO: An integrative approach to examine the impacts of evolutionary novelty on generalist species

新的适应性可以显著影响生物的行为、进化和遗传多样性。其中一个新发现，毒素耐受性，被认为对植物食性昆虫的物种丰富度和饮食广度很重要。一般来说，预计对剧毒化合物的耐受性会限制昆虫的饮食范围。然而，一些以多种植物/真菌为食的物种却出人意料地能够解毒，而这些有毒化学物质只存在于它们的少数宿主体内。此外，这些新物种对多面手物种的影响尚不清楚。为了解决这一知识差距，该项目将研究一种以多种水果和蘑菇为宿主的蝇类对强效蘑菇毒素的耐受性。通过研究新颖性如何影响多面手物种以及维持新颖性的条件，这些研究将有助于预测新颖性适应的进化。这项研究的基础是旨在增加公众对科学技术的参与的活动。这些活动将有助于增加历史上被排斥群体的学生的包容性。此外，这项工作将实现课堂上的实践研究机会，并产生一个包含苍蝇物种特征信息的公开数据库。果蝇属的苍蝇表现出一系列的摄食行为。从专门研究单一有毒水果的专家到以各种蘑菇为食的通才。蘑菇食用者可以忍受高浓度的致命蘑菇毒素，这种毒素对许多生物都是致命的。其中一种蘑菇喂食器，三孔果蝇，是独特的，因为它使用水果和蘑菇的结合宿主。在这个物种的种群中，对毒素的耐受程度各不相同。此外，雌性表现出对水果或蘑菇的产卵偏好。利用当地的三孔果蝇种群，计划中的研究将检验三个假设。首先，毒素耐受性有可能推动同域物种的形成。第二，保持这种新的适应性增加了遗传多样性。最后，第三个是保持毒素耐受性的好处超过了相关的成本。对一个多面手物种的新适应性进行互补的进化、行为和生态评估，将开始揭示这些类型特征的影响，并描述维持它们的选择压力。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。

Novel adaptations can significantly impact the behavior, evolution, and genetic diversity of organisms. One such novelty, toxin tolerance, is thought to be important in species richness and dietary breadth of plant-feeding insects. In general, tolerance of highly toxic compounds is predicted to limit the dietary range of insects. However, some species that feed on a wide range of plants/fungi are surprisingly able to detoxify noxious chemicals that only occur in a small number of their hosts. Furthermore, the impact of such novelties on generalist species is poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, this project will examine tolerance to potent mushroom toxins in a fly species that uses a diverse set of fruit and mushrooms as hosts. By investigating how novelty affects generalist species and the conditions under which it is maintained, these studies will inform predictions about the evolution of novel adaptations. Fundamental to the research are activities designed to increase public engagement with science and technology. These activities will facilitate increased inclusion of students from historically excluded groups. In addition, the work will implement in-class, hands-on research opportunities, and generate a publicly available database containing trait information for the fly species.Flies in the genus Drosophila exhibit a spectrum of feeding behaviors. These range from specialists on a single toxic fruit to generalists that feed on a variety of mushrooms. Mushroom-feeders can tolerate high concentrations of deadly mushroom toxins that are lethal to many organisms. One mushroom feeder, Drosophila tripunctata, is unique in that it uses a combination of fruit and mushroom hosts. In populations of this species, the degree of toxin tolerance varies. In addition, females exhibit egg-laying preference for either fruit or mushrooms. Using a local population of Drosophila tripunctata, the planned research will test three hypotheses. The first is that toxin tolerance has the potential to drive sympatric speciation. The second is that maintaining this novel adaptation increases genetic diversity. Finally, the third is that the benefits of maintaining toxin tolerance outweigh the associated costs. The complementary evolutionary, behavioral, and ecological assessments of a novel adaptation in a generalist species will begin to uncover the impacts of these types of traits and characterize the selective pressures that maintain them.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.