Collaborative Research: Extreme Discordance Between Allozyme and Non-Allozyme Introgression in Baltic Mussels. Selection on Allozymes?

进化生物学家面临的一个主要挑战是确定自然选择在多大程度上影响了自然种群的遗传变异。在北海和波罗的海发现的两种蓝贻贝之间的杂交是常见的。这两种贻贝之间基因交换的差异，尤其是编码中枢代谢途径的酶的基因，表明这些基因可能是经过选择的，并参与了对波罗的海低盐度条件的适应。将通过比较这些代谢基因与非代谢和可能是中性（即没有选择）基因的遗传交换水平，以及在DNA序列水平上寻找选择的信号，来进行选择测试。该项目将进一步了解自然选择如何在多个基因中运作，特别是在杂交物种之间的边界。它还将增加妇女和少数民族在人口生物学和进化生态学方面的教育机会，并有助于编制这些领域的K-12教育推广材料。

A major challenge for evolutionary biologists is to determine the degree to which natural selection shapes genetic variation in natural populations. Hybridization is common between two species of blue mussel found in the North and Baltic Seas. The differential exchange of genes between the two mussel species, particularly genes encoding enzymes involved in central metabolic pathways, suggests those genes may be under selection and involved in adaptation to low salinity conditions in the Baltic Sea. Tests for selection will be conducted by comparing levels of genetic exchange for these metabolic genes against nonmetabolic and presumably neutral (i.e., not under selection) genes and by looking for signals of selection at the DNA sequence level. This project will further the understanding of how natural selection operates at multiple genes, especially at the boundaries between hybridizing species. It will also enhance educational opportunities in population biology and evolutionary ecology for women and minorities and contribute to the development of K-12 educational outreach materials in these fields.