Evolutionary Ecology of Structured Populations

该奖项提供的资金将用于购买设备，用于佛蒙特大学的一组优秀教师的研究和培训。该学院的研究重点是结构化种群的进化生态学研究。该小组讨论的一般问题类别包括：1)人口结构的生态原因；2)结构对微进化动力学的影响；(3)由于这些动态而在自然界中预期的（人口）模式。自从最早的进化论提出以来，环境和进化的相互关系就引起了人们的兴趣。相对于简单的种群规模，种群结构的作用在进化动力学中的作用相对不为人所知。对这种结构的研究需要在分子水平上分析动物和植物种群个体成员的DNA和蛋白质的特征。在此奖项的帮助下购买的设备将有利于教师和学生在定义这些特征方面的研究。

This award provides funds that will aid in the purchase of equipment to be used for research and training by a group of outstanding faculty at the University of Vermont. The faculty's research centers on studies of the evolutionary ecology of structured populations. The general classes of questions addressed by the group include: 1) the ecological causes of population structure; 2) the effect of the structure on microevolutionary dynamics; 3) the (population) patterns to be expected in nature as a result of these dynamics. The interrelation of environment and evolution has been of interest since the earliest theories of evolution were proposed. The role of population structure, as opposed to the simple size of populations, has a relatively poorly understood role in the dynamics of evolution. Studies of such structure require the analysis of characteristics of the DNA and protein of individual members of animal and plant populations at the molecular level. The equipment purchased with the aid of this award will be of benefit to faculty and student research in defining such characteristics.