Using full-genomic data to assess defense and trophic niche differentiation within wild fish populations

我的研究探讨了全基因组多样性与种群内环境多样性之间的关系，特别是不同的基因型在其生活史中是否利用不同的微生境。 这是一个进化和生态理论的关键组成部分，如适应过程，是非常重要的保护遗传学，栖息地破碎化，人口瓶颈和物种的损失。我提出的研究支持四个毕业生和博士后候选人的培训，并使用三棘鱼从两个研究良好的湖泊海达Gesches作为模型，以评估基因型的生态位专业化的程度。我们利用新开发的分布在整个基因组已知位置的3000多个遗传标记的阵列，并测量每条鱼的一系列性状，包括体型，防御装甲，性别，饮食和寄生虫，以及在每个站点的物理和化学参数。这种将全基因组数据与详细的形态和生态数据相结合的做法以前从未对任何物种进行过，无论结果如何，都将在两个层面上取得实质性进展。 任何与生物学或湖沼学数据有可预测差异的遗传标记都可以让我们深入了解特定的基因功能，这可能与理解其他脊椎动物（包括人类）的基因功能有关。其次，小种群的灭绝通常与遗传多样性的丧失、近亲繁殖以及多种病原体和寄生虫的负面影响有关。如果我们的研究结果证明了基因型特异性生态位，这意味着广泛的碎片化和人口减少导致的遗传多样性丧失将进一步限制人口在不断变化的星球上的适应性。

My research examines the relationship between genome-wide diversity and environmental diversity within populations, specifically, whether different genotypes exploit different microhabitats during their life histories. This is poorly understood yet is a critical component of evolutionary and ecological theory such as the process of adaptation and is very important for conservation genetics, habitat fragmentation, population bottlenecks and loss of species. My proposed research supports the training of four graduates and a post-doctoral candidate and uses threespine stickleback fish from two well-studied lakes on Haida Gwaii as a model to assess the extent of niche-specialization of genotypes. We take advantage of a newly developed array of over 3000 genetic markers distributed at known positions across the entire genome and measure a large series of traits for each fish including body shape, defense armour, sex, diet, and parasites, as well as physical and chemical parameters at each site in the lake where individual fish are collected. This integration of genome-wide data with detailed morphological and ecological data has not been previously done for any species and irrespective of the results, would represent a substantive advance at two levels. Any of the genetic markers that differ predictably in relation to biological or limnological data allow insight into specific gene function, which may then be relevant to understanding how this operates in other vertebrates, including humans. Secondly, the extinction of small populations is usually associated with loss of genetic diversity, inbreeding and negative impact of multiple pathogens and parasites. If our results demonstrate genotype-specific niches, this implies that loss of genetic diversity from widespread fragmentation and population reduction will further constrain the adaptability of populations in a changing planet.