CAREER: Evaluating the contribution of Sensory Drive to the divergence of flower color

植物进化出明显不同颜色的花朵，通常是由于不同授粉者的偏好。 然而，在一些植物物种中，尽管传粉者物种是相同的，但有不同颜色的花。 如果植物种群生活在不同的栖息地，影响花朵对传粉者的外观，那么花朵颜色的差异可以在没有传粉者变化的情况下进化。特别是，背景的颜色会影响传粉者看到颜色的方式。另外，环境因素的差异，如水的可用性也可能影响花色。这个项目评估了在传粉者物种没有重大变化的情况下，花色如何在种群之间进化成不同的。它关注的是一种分布广泛的植物在不同栖息地的种群，这些栖息地的背景颜色截然不同。这项研究将帮助我们更好地了解花朵如何进化以吸引传粉者。它还可以帮助预测随着气候变化影响开花的时间和地点，开花信号可能会如何变化。此外，该项目还为本科生提供研究和科学推广方面的培训。在动物行为研究中，感官驱动描述了当信号环境发生变化时，通信信号发生变化的情况。该项目将评估感官驱动对花色进化的贡献，同时还将测试花卉多样性的长期理论驱动因素。利用蜜蜂授粉的一年生植物Phacelia dubia，将花信号传递给岩石露头或草地上的传粉者，该项目将采用1）12个自然种群的观察和实验，以评估感官驱动和传粉者转移对花色变化的贡献，2）4代实验进化研究，以评估背景栖息地颜色是否刺激快速花色进化，（3）生长箱实验和自然群体的长期数据收集，以评估环境变量在形成花色中的作用。该项目还将通过一个综合教育计划，吸引本科生、4-H初级博物学家和本土植物协会成员参与，以解决背景依赖性进化是否有助于多种物种的颜色多样化，并将传粉者行为与实验种群的自然选择结果联系起来。该项目由环境生物学部（DEB）共同资助该奖项反映了NSF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。

Plants have evolved flowers of notably different colors, often due to preferences of different pollinators. However, within some plant species there are populations that have different colored flowers although the pollinator species are the same. Floral color differences could evolve without pollinator shifts if plant populations live in different habitats that affect the way that flowers appear to pollinators. In particular, the color of the background can affect the way that pollinators see colors. Alternatively, differences in environmental factors like water availability could also affect flower color. This project assesses how flower color may evolve to be different between populations without major shifts in pollinator species. It focuses on populations of a widespread plant in different habitats that differ starkly in background color. The research will help us better understand how flowers evolve to attract pollinators. It can also help predict how floral signals may change as climate change affects the timing and location of flowering. In addition, the project provides training in research and scientific outreach for undergraduate students.In animal behavior studies, Sensory Drive describes the situation whereby communication signals change when the signaling environment changes. This project will assess the contribution of Sensory Drive to flower color evolution while also testing longer-standing theoretical drivers of floral diversity. Using a bee-pollinated annual, Phacelia dubia, that transmits floral signals to pollinators in either rocky outcrops or grassy meadows, the project will employ 1) observations and experiments in 12 natural populations to evaluate the contributions of Sensory Drive and pollinator-shifts to changes in flower color, 2) a 4-generation experimental evolution study to evaluate whether the background habitat color spurs rapid flower color evolution, and 3) growth chamber experiments and long term data collection in natural populations to assess the role of environmental variables in shaping flower color. With an integrative educational program the project will also engage undergraduates, 4-H Junior Naturalists, and Native Plant Society members to address whether background-dependent evolution contributes to color diversification across a broad range of species, and to link pollinator behavior with the results of natural selection in experimental populations.This project is jointly funded by the Division of Environmental Biology (DEB) and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).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.