Genealogical Concordance and Discordance in The Genetic Structure of Populations

9407131近年来，越来越清楚的是，大多数动物物种的地理种群在基因上彼此不同，历史和当代过程都会影响这些遗传分布。较少被认识到的是，不同基因和基因分析中的地理变异模式在一个物种内彼此匹配的程度，或者跨物种表现出一致模式的频率有多高。然而，这种对系谱一致性的评估对从种群遗传学到系统学再到保护生物学的许多学科来说都是至关重要的。例如，协调一致的遗传模式很可能反映了自然选择、种群细分和基因流动历史中的共同要素。这种模式还将与分类学描述以及在保护背景下对物种内生物多样性的评估高度相关。该项目将涉及对美国东南部几种脊椎动物的地理种群进行分子遗传分析。其目的是确定在这些分类群中是否存在一致的(而不是不一致的)遗传模式以及存在的频率，并解决支配这种模式的历史过程。其目标将是对东南部地区的生物多样性进行分子水平的评估，并为解释和利用这些信息制定一个概念框架。

9407131 Avise In recent years, it has become increasingly clear that geographic populations of most animal species differ from one another genetically, and both historical and contemporary processes can influence these genetic distributions. Less-well appreciated are how closely the patterns of geographic variation in different genes and genetic assays match one another within a species, or how frequently concordant patterns are exhibited across species. Yet such assessments of genealogical concordance are crucial to a number of disciplines ranging from population genetics to systematics to conservation biology. For example, concordant genetic patterns would likely reflect shared elements in the histories of natural selection, population subdivision, and gene flow. Such patterns would also be highly relevant to taxonomic descriptions, and to assessments of within species biodiversity in a conservation context. This project will involve molecular genetic assays of geographic populations within several vertebrate species in the southeastern United States. The intent is to determine whether and how often concordant (as opposed to discordant) genetic patterns exist within these taxa, and to address the historical processes governing such patterns. The goal will be to provide a molecular level assessment of biodiversity in the southeastern region, and to develop a conceptual framework for interpreting and utilizing such information.