Evolutionary genetics of visual communication

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 拟议中的研究从四个方面评估了配偶识别系统的进化差异： 分子的、生理的、行为的和生态的。我会研究剑鱼和剑鱼。伯奇曼尼， 剑尾鱼的姊妹种，在个别河流中以杂交坡度存在。“纯”种群X. 从上游到下游的梯度从上游到下游的梯度将马林氏吸虫与白纹伊蚊的纯种群隔开 杂交种群。沿着这个梯度，我将研究视蛋白基因序列的变异，视蛋白基因 和颜色敏感度，这可能会由于 局部光环境，映射到女性配偶偏好和性二态男性的变化 特征。拟议工作的结果将提供对生态和遗传学的迫切需要的洞察 行为分化的基础，并将揭示选择性力量和遗传结构 在动物交流系统多样性的背后。

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 andX. 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 howvariation 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 communicationsystems.