DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics of Mating Behavior in the Genus Drosophila

越来越多的证据表明，与男性生殖有关的基因以异常快的速度进化，但这种加速的生物学基础尚不清楚。一种可能性是，快速进化是由交配行为的差异驱动的。近100年来，遗传学家一直在研究果蝇，试图找出控制交配行为的基因。一些关键基因已经被确定。这提供了一个机会来确定这些基因的遗传差异是否解释了不同物种之间交配行为的巨大差异。研究人员将在广泛的物种样本中对这些基因进行表征，并研究种群内遗传变异的模式。个体如何找到彼此并形成配偶是所有有两性的生物的一个基本方面。交配行为随着时间的推移而改变，这也解释了个体在自己的物种中选择配偶的现象。了解交配行为差异的遗传基础具有重要的实际应用，从设计国家公园和野生动物保护区的最佳大小和几何布局到圈养濒危动物物种的繁殖。

Increasing evidence suggests that genes involved in male reproduction evolve at an exceptionally rapid rate, but the biological basis for this acceleration is unknown. One possibility is that rapid evolution is driven by differences in mating behavior. For nearly 100 years geneticists have studied the insect Drosophila to try to identify the genes that control mating behavior. A number of key genes have been identified. This affords an opportunity to determine whether genetic differences in these genes accounts for the great variation in mating behavior among different species. The investigators will characterize these genes among a broad sample of species and also study patterns of genetic variation within populations. How individuals find each other and form mating pairs is a fundamental aspect of biology in all organisms that have two sexes. Mating behavior changes through time and accounts for the observation that individuals choose mates within their own species. Understanding the genetic basis of differences in mating behavior has important practical applications ranging from designing the optimal size and geometrical layout of national parks and game preserves to breeding endangered animal species in captivity.