Collaborative Research: Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics of Cave Adaptation

洞穴鱼类与水面鱼类在许多方面不同，因为它们进化适应黑暗中的生活。 最值得注意的是，他们的眼睛较小，色素沉着较少，但他们也有更好的嗅觉和味觉，代谢效率更高。 所有这些差异都受到遗传控制;洞穴种群中影响重要发育系统的基因拷贝与地表种群不同。 墨西哥的Tetra是独特的，因为该物种既有洞穴又有表面形式。 因为它们可以杂交，所以它们提供了通过遗传分析研究差异的机会。 在这个合作研究项目中，负责这些差异的基因将通过遗传图谱和选定的候选基因的功能分析来确定。 研究结果将有助于更好地了解控制以下发育和维持的遗传途径：（1）视觉系统;（2）色素沉着;（3）代谢效率;以及（4）各种其他生理和解剖系统。 在更广泛的影响方面，媒体对洞穴鱼类的工作进行了广泛的报道，这一系统引起人们兴趣和注意的非凡能力将对生物学、遗传学和进化方面的公共教育产生广泛的积极影响。 这项研究还将影响本科生、研究生和博士后研究员的培训，特别是在进化和发展的新概念方面。 在社会影响方面，研究结果也可能有助于对眼睛退化和代谢紊乱的原因的普遍理解，并可能导致更好地了解环境变化（即，从地表环境到洞穴环境的转变）可以调节进化变化的方向。

Cave fishes differ from surface fishes in numerous ways because of their evolutionary adaptations to life in the dark. Most noticeably, they have smaller eyes and less pigmentation, but they also have better senses of smell and taste, and are more efficient metabolically. All of these differences are under genetic control; the gene copies in the cave populations affecting important developmental systems differ from those in the surface populations. The Mexican Tetra is unique in that the species has both cave and surface forms. Because they can hybridize, they afford the opportunity to investigate the differences through genetic analysis. In this collaborative research project, the genes responsible for these differences will be identified by genetic mapping and functional analyses of selected candidate genes. The results will lead to a better understanding of the genetic pathways that control the development and maintenance of: (1) the visual system; (2) pigmentation; (3) metabolic efficiency; and (4) various other physiological and anatomical systems. In terms of Broader Impacts, the work on cave fishes has been well covered by the media, and the extraordinary ability of this system to engage people's interest and attention will have broad positive impacts on public education in biology, genetics and evolution. The research will also impact the training of undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, particularly in novel concepts of evolution and development (evodevo). In terms of societal impacts, the results may also contribute to a general understanding of the causes of eye degeneration and metabolic disorders and could lead to a better insight into how environmental changes (i.e., the shift from surface to cave environments) can modulate the direction of evolutionary change.