Intrinsic Cycles And Density And Frequency-Dependent Selection On Egg Size

预测种群调节是生态学和进化研究的基本目标。种群调节必须来自个体间的相互作用对繁殖率和后代存活的影响。相互作用在高密度下应该是强烈的，但在低密度下是微弱的。最近发现的遗传基础的人口调控侧斑蜥蜴促进密度效应的研究。落叶松带有一种遗传颜色标记，用于替代生殖策略，对后代生存产生级联效应。两种基因型的群体密度和频率将在大规模的田间试验中进行操作。遗传变化和种群调节将在两代重复田间试验中进行研究。此外，实验室育种研究将确定颜色标记和相关的生殖属性是由于单个基因，还是来自许多基因。激素调节机制在蜥蜴、哺乳动物和鸟类中是保守的。因此，对蜥蜴的研究提供了控制许多自由放养和家养物种繁殖的基因和激素的基本信息。此外，在野外进行的密度调节实验为预测动物数量的长期变化提供了至关重要的基本信息。例如，预测全球气候变化的长期影响需要了解种群调节的生态和遗传原因。

0108577SinervoPredicting population regulation is a fundamental goal of ecological and evolutionary studies. Population regulation must arise from effects of interactions between individuals on rate of reproduction and progeny survival. Interactions should be intense at high density, but weak at low density. The recent discovery of a genetic basis for population regulation of side-blotched lizards facilitates study of density effects. Lizards carry a genetic color marker for alternative reproductive strategies that have cascading effects on progeny survival. Population density and frequency of two genotypes will be manipulated in large-scale field experiments. Genetic change and population regulation will be studied across two generations on replicate field plots. Furthermore, laboratory breeding studies will determine whether the color marker and associated reproductive attributes are due to a single gene, or from many genes. Mechanisms of hormonal regulation are conserved among lizards, mammals, and birds. Thus, studies on lizards provide basic information on genes and hormones that control reproduction in many free-ranging and domestic species. Furthermore, experiments on density regulation in the wild provide basic information that is vital for predicting long-term changes in animal numbers. For example, predicting long-term effects of global climate change will require an understanding of the ecological and genetic causes of population regulation.