Testing Conjectures About the Dimensionality of the Evolutionary Process

对人类活动的响应进化具有重要的经济意义，例如在农业中。 如果能够预测这些变化将在何时以及如何演变，那将是极其有用的。我们知道突变和遗传变异是进化所必需的。 该项目将寻找突变和遗传变异的简单一般特征，作为预测进化的基础，并根据物种间观察到的差异来测试这些预测。 果蝇的翅膀将被用作模型系统。 令人惊讶的是，在一项研究中整合突变，变异和进化从未尝试过多细胞生物。如果该项目的预测得到证实，所开发的方法将适用于驯化植物和动物的进化。 如果人们能够预测不太可能进化的特征组合，就可以避免注定失败的昂贵育种计划。或者，不太可能随着自然变异而进化的特征将成为遗传操作的有吸引力的目标。如果预测没有得到证实，这将表明在预测有用之前，需要更详细地了解生物特征的功能基础。

AbstractEvolution in response to human activities is of great economic importance, for example in agriculture. It would be extremely useful to be able to predict when and how such changes will evolve. We know that mutation and genetic variation is necessary for evolution. This project will search for simple general features of mutation and genetic variation to use as the basis for predictions about evolution, and test these predictions against the differences observed among species. The wings of fruit flies (Drosophila) will be used as a model system. Surprisingly, integration of mutation, variation and evolution in one study has never been attempted with a multicellular organism. If the predictions of this project are borne out, the methods developed would be applicable to evolution in domesticated plants and animals. If one can predict combinations of features that are unlikely to evolve, costly breeding programs that are doomed to fail could be avoided. Alternatively, features that are unlikely to evolve with natural variation would be attractive targets for genetic manipulations. If the predictions are not borne out, this will point to the need for a more detailed understanding of the functional basis of biological traits before predictions are useful.