Chromosomal Inversions and the Persistence of Species

地球上的生物多样性是通过新物种的形成而产生的。 该项目旨在了解染色体基因排列差异在促进新物种形成和使其在形成后持续存在方面的作用。 最近的理论工作和实验数据表明，染色体重排可以促进物种的持久性，因为基因不能很容易地在杂交物种之间的基因组重排的部分，但可以在共线区域交叉。 提出了两组实验来验证这一假设。 第一组比较了拟暗果蝇（Drosophila pseudobscura）和拟暗果蝇（D. persimilis在共存的种群和地理上分离的种群中。 第二组将评估基因组重排部分的DNA序列在物种之间的差异是否大于其他两个物种组的共线区域。现代进化生物学家对基因如何在种群内进化有着令人印象深刻的理解，但对一个物种如何分裂成两个物种的理解却很差。这项研究将阐明物种形成的机制，为调节地球生物多样性的基本进化过程提供见解。 它还将提供对允许不同物种持续存在的遗传属性的深入了解，当人类活动威胁到许多物种的灭绝时，这一点变得越来越重要。

Biodiversity on Earth is generated through the formation of new species. This project seeks to understand the role of differences in chromosomal gene arrangements in facilitating the formation of new species and allowing them to persist once formed. Recent theoretical work and experimental data suggest that chromosomal rearrangements can facilitate species persistence because genes cannot easily cross between hybridizing species in rearranged parts of the genome but can cross in collinear regions. Two sets of experiments are proposed to test this hypothesis. The first set compares the genetics of hybrid sterility in Drosophila pseudoobscura and D. persimilis in populations that coexist and populations that are geographically separated. The second set will evaluate if DNA sequences differ more between species in rearranged parts of the genome than collinear regions in two other species groups.Modern evolutionary biologists have an impressive understanding of how genes evolve within populations, but a poorer understanding of how one species splits into two. This research will illuminate mechanisms of speciation, providing insights into the fundamental evolutionary processes that regulate biodiversity on Earth. It will also offer insight into genetic attributes that allow different species to persist together, which has become increasingly important when human activities threaten the extinction of many species.