Selection and the Genetic Architecture of Fitness

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The proliferation of molecular tools has ushered in a new era in evolutionary and ecological research. Scientists are now poised to detail the complex interactions between genes and environment that mediate adaptation of individuals to their natural environment. My lab is leading the next generation of ecology by integrating cutting-edge genomic tools with innovative field and laboratory experiments to determine how genes contribute to phenotype and fitness in natural habitats. Our objective is to detail how natural and sexual selection affect the genetic architecture of fitness in wild populations and ultimately to discover the genomic basis of adaptation. Such knowledge is important not only for pure discovery, but also for the effective management of our natural resources. The proposed research will use parallel experiments in chinook, bluegill, and guppy mating systems to test hypotheses in quantitative genetics, sexual selection, and evolutionary biology. We will combine two breeding approaches, one based on quantitative genetics and the other on sexual selection, to indentify genes associated with fitness and decisively detail the adaptive significance of mate choice and the fitness consequences of sexual conflict. We will also determine the contributions of additive (heritable) versus non-additive (dominance, epistasis) effects on fitness in natural environments. Complementary microcosms and disease-challenge experiments will examine specific components of selection, as well as the effect of candidate genes involved in behaviour and immunity, and gene expression on performance. Next-generation sequencing will be used for gene discovery and to link natural selection on phenotype to changes in the DNA sequence, thereby providing the crucial link in studies of Darwinian natural selection. The proposed work will involve 4 PhD students, 4 MSc students, 8 undergraduate thesis students, 1 research technician, and multiple undergraduate assistants. These students will receive extensive training in all aspects of research within evolutionary and molecular ecology, which will make them highly qualified personnel capable of entering the academic, government and private sectors.