ADVANCE Fellows Award: Egg Size Evolution of Free-Spawning Marine Invertebrates in Neogene Tropical America

该奖项为PI提供资金，通过结合生物地理学，生物化学，形态学和古生物学方法来研究海洋系统的生活史进化，以研究与重大生物地理事件有关的海洋双壳类动物家族的卵大小进化，即280万至310万年前中美洲地峡（CAI）的崛起。CAI的兴起分离了大西洋和太平洋，并隔离了以前连续的物种种群（称为双生物种对）。多个近亲物种的存在提供了一个独特的、可复制的自然实验，可以阐明进化的力量。PI将研究阿奇科双壳类动物的卵大小进化，以确定与CIA崛起相关的进化速度和时间。这项研究将提供过去第一个关于卵大小的描述性数据，并将为探索海洋变化和地质事件的进化响应提供新的方法。此外，资助将支持五名本科生的研究经验。

This award provides funding for the PI to study life history evolution in marine systems by combining biogeographical, biochemical, morphological and paleontological approaches to examining egg size evolution in a family of marine bivalves relative to a major biogeographic event, the rise of the Central American Isthmus (CAI) at 2.8-3.1 million years ago. The rise of the CAI separated the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and isolated populations of previously-continuous species (known as geminate species pairs). The presence of multiple closely-related species offers a unique, replicated natural experiment that can shed light on evolutionary forces. The PI will study the egg size evolution of bivalves in the family Arcidae to determine the rate and timing of the evolution relative to the rise of the CIA. This research will provide the first descriptive data on egg size in the past, and will add a new approach for exploration of oceanic change and evolutionary response to geologic events. In addition, funding will support research experience for five undergraduate students.