Doctoral Dissertation Research: Causes and Consequences of Morphological Variation within Populations

9520673在种群内，个体之间的差异往往很大。这种变化可能是适应性的，因为它允许不同的个体使用它们功能上最适合的栖息地子集。这项研究解决了关于个体差异的两个问题。首先，运动表现和体型是否有共同变化，体型不同的个体是否会选择栖息地中表现最好的部分？其次，遗传和环境在塑造个体形态中的相对作用是什么？模型系统是一个利用多种栖息地类型的栅栏蜥蜴种群，个体之间在形态上存在显著差异。研究问题是通过一系列的描述性和实验性研究来解决的。将测量在各种基质上的运动表现，并使用多变量统计确定表现和形状变量之间的协方差。兄弟姐妹将在结构上不同的栖息地、不同的食物水平和热状态组合中长大，以分离遗传和环境对体形的影响。这项研究将揭示种群内变异的适应性意义，以及产生这种变异的因素。

9520673 Within populations, there is often wide variation among individuals. This variation may be adaptive, because it allows different individuals to use subsets of the habitat to which they are functionally best suited. This research addresses two questions regarding individual variation. First, do locomotor performance and body shape covary, and do individuals that differ in shape select parts of the habitat in which their performance is best? Second, what are the relative roles of genetics and environment in shaping individual morphology? The model system is a population of fence lizards that utilize multiple habitat types and show significant differences in morphology between individuals. The research questions are addressed through a series of descriptive and experimental studies. Locomotor performance on a variety of substrates will be measured, and covariance between performance and shape variables will be determined using multivariate statistics. Siblings will be raised in structurally different habitats, and in different food level and thermal regime combinations to separate genetic and environmental influences on body form. The research will reveal the adaptive significance of variation within a population, as well as the factors that produce that variation.