DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Reconstructing Microevolution in Historically Documented Populations of the House Sparrow

论文研究将探讨家雀野生种群变异模式的进化过程。本研究中所包括的种群提供了四个主要的兴趣点：（i）大多数是最近才开始的人类100-150年前，（ii）他们经历了复杂的历史过程，涉及有效的大小波动，（iii）他们在博物馆收藏品中有很好的代表性，（iv）大量的历史数据文件的实际介绍。研究将比较博物馆标本之间的地点（控制时间）和跨时间（控制地点）的一套基因型和表型特征，以重建历史人口统计学，并评估机会和选择影响整体进化动力学的机会。这项研究将综合古代DNA技术和新的统计方法，旨在分析时间间隔的数据。研究结果将有助于指导未来的物种进化研究，其中可用的遗传和人口统计数据是有限的。该研究还将深入了解物种对气候变化的潜在适应性反应。实验室方法将继续通过提供高通量基因分型和数据分析培训，让对分子生物学感兴趣的学生参与进来。

Dissertation research will investigate the evolutionary processes underlying patterns of variation in wild populations of the House Sparrow. The populations included in the present study afford four major points of interest: (i) most were only recently started by humans 100-150 years ago, (ii) they have since experienced complex historical processes involving effective size fluctuations, (iii) they are well-represented in museum collections, and (iv) large amounts of historical data document the actual introductions. Research will compare museum specimens between locales (controlling for time) and across time (controlling for locale) for a suite of genotypic and phenotypic characters in an effort to reconstruct historical demography and assess the opportunities for chance and selection to influence overall evolutionary dynamics. The study will synthesize ancient DNA techniques and new statistical methods designed for analyzing temporally spaced data. Results will help guide future evolutionary studies of species where the available genetic and demographic data are limited. The research will also provide insights into the potential adaptive responses of species to climate change. Laboratory methods will continue to involve students with interests in molecular biology by providing training in high-throughput genotyping and data analysis.