Evolutionary genetics of visual communication

描述(由申请人提供)：阐明基因与环境的相互作用对于理解行为的进化至关重要。这项拟议的研究从分子、生理、行为和生态四个层面评估了配偶识别系统的进化差异。我将研究剑尾鱼和剑尾鱼的姊妹物种剑尾鱼和剑尾鱼，它们在个别河流中以混合梯度存在。马林氏并殖吸虫的“纯”种群与伯氏并殖吸虫的“纯”种群通过杂交种群从上游到下游的梯度被分开。沿着这个梯度，我将研究视蛋白基因序列、视蛋白基因表达和颜色敏感性的变异是如何映射到女性配偶偏好和性二型男性特征的变异的，因为局部光环境的差异可能会显示出强烈的选择梯度。拟议工作的结果将为行为差异的生态和遗传基础提供亟需的洞察，并将阐明动物交流系统多样性背后的选择性力量和遗传结构。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Elucidating gene-environment interactions is crucial for understanding the evolution of behavior. This proposed research evaluates the evolutionary divergence of a mate-recognition system on four scales: molecular, physiological, behavioral, and ecological. I will study Xiphophorus malinche and X. birchmanni, sister species of swordtail fishes, that in individual rivers exist in hybrid gradients. 'Pure' populations of X. malinche are separated from 'pure' populations of X. birchmanni by an upstream-to-downstream gradient of hybrid populations. Along this gradient, I will investigate how variation in opsin gene sequences, opsin gene expression, and color sensitivity, which is likely to show a strong selection gradient due to the differences in local photic environments, map on to variation in female mate preferences and sexually-dimorphic male traits. Results from the proposed work will provide much needed insight into the ecological and genetic bases of behavioral divergence, and will shed light onto the selective forces and genetic architectures underlying the diversity of animal communication systems.