U.S.- Germany Cooperative Research: International: Dynamics and Consequences of an Ant Hybrid Zone

这个奖项支持Jennifer Fewell和亚利桑那州立大学的研究生和本科生与德国维尔茨堡大学行为生理学研究所的Juergen Gadau合作。这个国际项目的目的是研究两种本地种子收获蚁，即rugosus和barbatus之间杂交的程度和后果。德国和美国的研究小组将验证这样一个假设，即该系统中的杂交并不像当前模型所预期的那样普遍降低杂交适应度。他们还将验证一个假设，即群体对杂交的反应是优先使用属于不同物种的精子。他们将使用形态学、分子学和行为学技术来确定物种间基因渗入的程度，并测量杂交和亲本群体的适合度成分。此外，他们将进行对照交配实验，以确定杂交对种姓决定的影响。工作计划规定研究生广泛参与国际旅行和研究。

0129319FewellThis award supports Jennifer Fewell and graduate and undergraduate students from Arizona State University in a collaboration with Juergen Gadau of Institute for Behavioral Physiology at the University of Wuerzburg, Germany. The aim of the international project is to examine the extent and consequences of hybridization between two native seed-harvester ants, Pogonomyrmex rugosus and Pogonomyrmex barbatus. The German and U.S. groups will test the hypothesis that hybridization in that system does not universally produce reduced hybrid fitness, as expected by current models. They will also test the hypothesis that colonies respond to hybridization by preferentially using sperm belonging to different species. They will use morphological, molecular, and behavioral techniques to determine the extent of introgression between species and to measure fitness components of hybridized and parental colonies. In addition, they will perform controlled mating experiments to determine the effect of hybridization on caste determaination. The work plan provides for extensive participation by graduate students in the international travel and research.