The Genetics of Female Acoustic Preference Behavior

Kerry L. Shaw， IOS-0818862：雌性声音偏好行为的遗传学。新物种的形成可能是由于交配前信号的变化。在几个已知的物种群中，不同的交配信号似乎是近亲物种保持不同的主要原因。人们对这种进化变化知之甚少。一种假设是，雄性交配信号的基因与雌性反应（或偏好）的基因是相同的。这项研究的重点是劳帕拉，一组密切相关的蟋蟀物种，已经非常迅速地分化。像大多数蟋蟀一样，劳帕拉蟋蟀通过声音交流，声音的差异导致了物种之间的交配不相容。然而，有些物种可以在实验室中杂交，从而可以对这些差异进行遗传研究。两个在雄性鸣叫和雌性偏好上明显不同的近亲物种将会杂交。杂交后代将与其中一个物种交配几代，将偏好和鸣叫基因从一个物种转移到另一个物种。分子标记将被用来产生一个基因定位的基因组图，这些基因是决定鸣叫和偏好的。有了这张图谱，就有可能确定鸣叫基因和偏好基因是否位于同一位置，以及每个基因对物种差异的影响程度。这张图谱上的分子标记的数量随后将增加，以促进最终克隆歌曲和偏好的基因。通过培养本科生、研究生和博士后，将科研与教育相结合。卡美哈美哈学校的学生将参与建立一个基于网络的科学实验室，分析歌曲和偏好遗传的遗传学。私家侦探将访问学校，通过讲座和与学生的非正式互动提供背景。

Kerry L. Shaw, IOS-0818862: The genetics of female acoustic preference behavior. New species may be formed by changes in the signals that precede mating. In several well known clusters of species, divergent mating signals appear to be a primary reason why closely related species remain distinct. This sort of evolutionary change is poorly understood. One hypothesis is that the genes for male mating signals are the same as those for female response (or preference). This study focuses on Laupala, a group of closely related cricket species that has diverged very rapidly. Like most crickets, Laupala communicate acoustically, and acoustic differences contribute to mating incompatibility between species. However, some species can be hybridized in the laboratory, enabling a genetic study of these differences. Two closely related species that differ markedly in male song and female preference will be hybridized. Hybrid offspring will be mated with one of these species for several generations to move preference and song genes from one species into the other. Molecular markers will be used to produce a genome map of the location of genes underlying song and preference. With this map, it will be possible to ascertain whether song and preference genes map to the same location and how much each gene contributes to differences between species. The number of molecular markers on this map will subsequently be increased to facilitate the eventual cloning of genes underlying song and preference.Research and education are integrated by training undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students. Kamehameha Schools students will be involved by establishing a web-based science lab analyzing the genetics of song and preference inheritance. The P. I. will visit the school to provide context through lecture and informal interaction with students.