Comparative and experimental studies of developmental plasticity and evolution

在漫长的地球历史中，各种各样的动物和其他生物是如何进化到现在的形式的？新形态是如何产生的？这是进化生物学家提出的两个大问题，对于最佳答案存在着激烈的争论。正如其他科学家争论我们每个人受遗传还是环境影响最大（“先天vs后天”辩论）一样，进化生物学家争论遗传和环境的相对影响。这场争论可以追溯到100多年前。我的研究通过详细研究选定的动物来解决这些更大的进化问题。我们主要关注海洋动物，这给了我们很大的余地——成千上万的物种可供选择！为了更好地理解基因型和环境在控制动物形态方面的作用，我们将研究四个主题：1)当食物充足或适宜栖息地缺乏时，海胆幼虫具有非凡的自我克隆能力——我们是第一个在海胆、沙美元和海参幼虫中发现这种能力的；2)当水流速度较低或个体更拥挤时，藤壶和瓷蟹能够长出更长的腿，以便更有效地滤食——我们是第一个发现藤壶的腿长随着波浪作用而精确变化的人；3)一种不寻常的比目鱼的亲本形状和温度对眼睛侧的影响，这种鱼的眼睛有时在右侧，有时在左侧；所以我们可以更好地理解一个显著的地理梯度：在日本100%的鱼是左眼的，而在加州只有50% ！4)手性（偏好肢体使用-右侧或左侧）对蟹爪或球虱幼虫管形态不对称发展的影响——这些研究可以为我们理解一些动物如何进化出明显的不对称结构提供突破。在我们的大多数研究中，我们将使用现场和实验室实验来帮助我们更好地理解动物在生长过程中根据所经历的条件改变形状的机制。

Over the long history of the earth, how did the extraordinary variety of animals and other organisms evolve to their present form?  How did new forms arise?  These are two of the big questions evolutionary biologists ask, and lively debate exists over the best answers.  Just as other scientists argue about whether each of us is most influenced by heredity or environment (the "nature vs. nurture" debate), evolutionary biologists argue about the relative influence of genetics and environment.  This debate extends back over 100 years.      My research attacks these larger evolutionary questions by studying selected animals in detail.  We focus mainly on marine animals, which gives us lots of leeway -- thousands of species to choose from!  We will study four subjects to better understand the roles genotype and environment play in controlling the forms of animals:  1) the remarkable ability of sea urchin larvae to clone themselves when food is abundant or suitable habitat scarce -- we were the first to discover this ability in the larvae of sea urchins, sand dollars and sea cucumbers, 2) the ability of barnacles and porcelain crabs to grow longer legs for more efficient filter feeding when water velocities are lower or individuals are more crowded -- we were the first to discover that leg length in barnacles varies rather precisely with wave action, 3) the effects of parent form and temperature on eye-side in an unusual flatfish species that sometimes has eyes on the right side and sometimes on the left, so we can better understand a remarkable geographic gradient:  in Japan 100% of fish are left-eyed whereas in California only 50% are!, and 4) the effects of handedness (preferred limb use- right or left side) on the development of morphological asymmetries in crab claws or the tubes of caddisfly larvae-- these studies could provide a breakthrough in our understanding of how some animals evolved conspicuously asymmetrical structures.      In most of our studies, will use both field and laboratory experiments to help us better understand the mechanisms by which animals change their form in response to conditions they experience during growth.