Ecologically-informed Evolutionary Developmental Biology in Threespine Stickleback

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How do populations retain the ability to produce phenotypic variation, despite the tendency for selection to reduce variation over time? The long-term objective of my research program is to investigate the means by which phenotypic variation becomes available and is maintained for selection to act upon, resulting in adaptive change within species. Phenotypic variation is characterized as resulting from the interaction of three major biological domains: genetic information, developmental processes, and environmental factors. Although each domain is very large in scope, the present proposal focuses on understanding the interaction spaces between domains as a means of elucidating the relative contributions of each domain to the production of variation. I propose three Objectives designed to test how three key sources of phenotypic variation interact to facilitate adaptive change: sexual dimorphism, phenotypic plasticity, and ancestry. The threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus) is an ideal organism in which to test explore these phenomena, due to its capacity for rapid colonization of new habitats and propensity for parallel evolutionary change related to colonization events, as well as its ease of study in the wild and tractability in the laboratory. My laboratory is among the first to apply high-throughput quantitative phenotyping and genomics techniques to natural populations. I leverage world-class facilities and training collaborations facilitated by the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre (BMSC) to provide a unique environment for HQP to develop field and bench skills in concert during their training. Several of our field sites are located in areas undergoing substantial natural resource development and expansion that threatens substantial, likely negative, impact on local flora and fauna. Further, several sites are on or adjacent to the traditional territories of the Huu-ay-aht First Nation, and therefore present a unique opportunity for collaboration to better understand the history of these localities and the impacts of resource development on both animal habitat and local human populations. My HQP will make substantial scientific discoveries while taking advantage of unparalleled opportunities for professional development and mentorship as they develop new knowledge and ask complex questions about the nature of variation in natural systems and its production in the face of environmental lability.