Functional and Evolutionary Analysis of an Inducible, Phenotypically Plastic Feeding Morphology

9217293帕迪拉有些生物体能够对生命中不断变化的环境做出反应，而另一些生物体则不能；它们的形态、生理或行为可能是固定的，不允许对环境变化做出快速反应。拟议研究的目标是了解有利于有机体在其生命周期内改变其构建方式(其形态)的条件，而不是具有固定的形态。这将通过直接实验和观察以及使用数学和计算机模型来实现。PI将使用海洋蜗牛的摄食结构作为本研究的模型系统。这种动物数量丰富，易于饲养和用于实验室和野外实验，众所周知，当这些蜗牛移动到不同的环境和吃不同的食物时，这种动物的摄食形态会发生变化。这些蜗牛用来诱导新的摄食结构并测量这些变化对动物的摄食率、生长率和终生繁殖的影响的环境线索将被确定。通过使用数学和计算机模型，PI可以对有利于个体改变其形态的条件做出预测，而不是拥有固定的形态。这些将包括环境变化的频率(或个体从一个环境迁移到另一个环境)，形成新的摄食结构需要多长时间，以及使摄食结构与环境不匹配的成本(例如，降低摄食率)。这些预测将直接在海洋蜗牛身上得到验证。PI还将确定蜗牛之间这些特征的差异是否有遗传基础，并研究密切相关的物种，以确定与能够随着环境变化而改变形态相关的进化模式。*~！！！F 4 CG Times Symbol&amp；Arial TMS RMN“Helv 8 8 h/Rochelle D Ray Rochelle D Ray

9217293 Padilla Some organisms are able to respond to changing environments during their lifetime, while others are not; their morphology, physiology, or behavior may be fixed, not allowing quick responses to their environmental changes. The objectives of the proposed research are to understand the conditions favoring the ability of an organism to change the way it is built (its morphology) during its lifetime as opposed to having a fixed morphology. This will be accomplished by direct experimentation and observation as well as the use of mathematical and computer models. The PI will use the feeding structures of the marine snail, Lacuna, as a model system for this study. The animal is abundant, easy to breed and use for laboratory and field experiments, and is known to have a feeding morphology that can change when these snails move to different environments and eat different foods. The environmental cues that are used by these snails to induce new feeding structures and measure the consequences of these changes for an animal's feeding rate, growth rate, and lifetime reproduction will be determined.. With the use of mathematical and computer models the PI can make predictions about conditions that would favor individuals that can change their morphology as opposed to having a fixed morphology. These would include how often the environment changes (or individuals move from one environment to another), how long it takes for a new feeding structure to form, and what the cost (for example in reduced feeding rate) of having a feeding structure mismatched to the environment. These predictions will be directly tested on th ese marine snails. The PI will also determine if there is a genetic basis for differences in these features among snails, and examine closely related species to determine the evolutionary patterns associated with being able to change morphology with changing environments. *** ~ ! ! ! F 4 CG Times Symbol & Arial Tms Rmn " Helv 8 8 h / Rochelle D Ray Rochelle D Ray