Postdoctoral Fellowship: OCE-PRF: Ecological Genomics of Adaptation in a Rocky Shore Predator-Prey Interaction

博士后奖学金：OCE-PRF：落基海岸捕食者-猎物相互作用中适应的生态基因组学

• 批准号: 2307933
• 负责人: Emily Longman
• 金额: $ 33.2万
• 依托单位: University of Vermont & State Agricultural College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2023-11-01 至 2025-10-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2307933&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Postdoctoral; Fellowship; OCE; PRF; Ecological

Understanding the genetic basis of trait variation is a major goal for many fields of biology. However, exploring this variation in nature is a challenge because it is seldom possible to link trait differences in wild species to underlying genetic variation, as well as determine the role that natural selection plays in driving these patterns. In contrast to many plant and animal populations on land, those in the sea were historically thought to be well mixed and genetically similar across large regions because of the expansive nature of the ocean and the broad dispersal of many marine species. Thus, studies of adaptation in marine environments have lagged behind those on land in and other ecosystems. The project PI is studying a striking example of trait variation in the sea – a predatory marine snail that can successfully drill through thick-shelled mussels in some regions of the west coast of the United States, but not in others. The proposed research will be one of the first to combine extensive trait data and laboratory evolution experiments with ecological genomics in a marine study system. This project will identify genetic signatures of adaptation across space and time in this snail to better understand patterns of evolution in the marine environment. In addition, this project will increase diversity, awareness, and accessibility of STEM through undergraduate mentorship, graduate level filmmaking courses, and a panel to introduce high school students to opportunities in ecology and evolutionary biology. Despite the open nature of marine ecosystems, there is growing evidence that many species display complex patterns of genetic differentiation across their geographic range. The proposed work builds on research exploring the interaction between the drilling dogwhelk, Nucella canaliculata, and the mussel Mytilus californianus, a foundation species that forms large mussel beds along the west coast of North America. Previous research has shown that this marine predator displays genetically controlled variation in drilling ability across its geographic range. This project has three goals: 1) determine the level of migration and gene flow among populations of a low dispersing invertebrate, 2) identify genomic patterns of selection using environmental data and detailed phenotypic data from lab-reared individuals, including investigating potential mechanisms of parallel adaptation, and 3) identify signatures of rapid adaptation and selection imposed in laboratory experiments by variation in early-life diet. Investigating these patterns of genomic variation will allow us to better understand the nature of selective forces in marine environments and the potential for rapid adaptation as climatic conditions change.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.

了解特征变异的遗传基础是许多生物学领域的主要目标。但是，探索自然界的这种差异是一个挑战，因为很少有可能将野生物种的性状差异与潜在的遗传变异联系起来，并确定了自然选择在推动这些模式中所起的作用。与许多陆地上的动植物种群相反，由于海洋的广泛性质和许多海洋物种的广泛分散，在大型地区，海洋中的人群在历史上被认为是混合的和遗传性的。这就是海洋环境中适应的研究落后于土地和其他生态系统的研究。 PI项目正在研究海洋特征变化的一个引人注目的例子 - 一种掠食性海洋蜗牛，可以成功地钻探美国西海岸某些地区的厚厚的贻贝，但在其他地区则没有。拟议的研究将是最早在海洋研究系统中将广泛特征数据和实验室进化实验与生态基因组学结合起来的研究之一。该项目将在此快照中确定跨空间和时间适应的遗传特征，以更好地了解海洋环境中进化的模式。此外，该项目将通过本科心态，研究生级的电影制作课程以及一个小组介绍高中生的生态学和进化生物学的机会来提高STEM的多样性，意识和可访问性。尽管海洋生态系统的开放性质开放，但越来越多的证据表明，许多物种在其地理范围内表现出复杂的遗传分化模式。拟议的工作是基于研究探索钻探狗狗，核Canaliculata和Mussel mytilus californianus之间相互作用的研究，这是一个基础物种，在北美西海岸形成了大型贻贝床。先前的研究表明，该海洋捕食者在其地理范围内显示出钻孔能力的一般控制变化。该项目有三个目标：1）确定低分散无脊椎动物的迁移水平和基因流量，2）使用环境数据和来自实验室奔跑的个体的详细表型数据确定选择的基因组模式，包括调查平行适应的潜在机制，以及3）在经过适应和选择方面的快速适应性实验中的签名。研究这些基因组变异模式将使我们能够更好地理解海洋环境中选择性力的性质，并随着气候条件的变化而进行快速适应的潜力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是通过基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响标准通过评估来评估的。