Investigating the Seciation Continuum: Ecology, Reinforcement, and the Evolution of Reproductive Isolation in Timema Stick Insects

物种形成是一个延长的过程，在这个过程中，两个种群失去了杂交和交换遗传物质的能力。一开始，对种群之间的遗传交流的限制很小；到了最后，它是完整的。在此过程中，遗传限制的程度，即生殖隔离，随着时间的推移而增加。这个项目使用了一组食草性棒状昆虫的种群和物种对，这些昆虫的隔离历史和基因流动的机会各不相同。通过评估物种形成的两个主要原因，无论是与寄主植物使用相关的生态分歧还是地理分离，本研究将对物种形成过程进行前所未有的详细研究。物种形成是产生生物多样性的基本进化过程。鉴于公众对生物多样性保护的认识和兴趣日益增加，了解物种形成应引起公众和学术界的关注。这项研究的结果将提供对生殖隔离程度较低的条件的洞察，这种情况可能会通过杂交和先前不同的种群的基因融合而促进生物多样性的丧失。此外，该项目将通过参与这项研究，培训两名研究生和多名本科生进行科学行为。最后，与教育学教授的合作将提供对学生如何学习(和不学习)进化概念的理解，这是当代社会的一个重要问题。

Speciation is an extended process in which two populations lose the capacity to interbreed and exchange genetic material. At the beginning, restrictions on genetic exchange between the populations is minimal; at the end it is complete. Along the way, the degree of genetic restriction, i.e. reproductive isolation, increases over time. This project uses pairs of populations and species of a group of herbivorous stick insects that vary in their history of isolation and opportunity for gene flow. By evaluating reproductive isolation among dozens of these population/species pairs with respect to two major causes of speciation, either ecological divergence associated with host plant use or geographic separation, this study will investigate the speciation process in unprecedented detail.Speciation is the fundamental evolutionary process that generates biodiversity. Given increased public awareness of, and interest in, biodiversity conservation, understanding speciation should be of public, as well as academic, concern. Findings from this study will provide insights into the conditions under which reproductive isolation is low, a situation that can promote the loss of biodiversity through interbreeding and genetic fusion of previously distinct populations. Additionally, this project will train two graduate students and multiple undergraduates in the conduct of science through participation in this research. Finally, collaboration with a professor of education will provide understanding about how students do (and do not) learn evolutionary concepts, an important issue in contemporary society.