Collaborative Research: The role of isolation in species diversification; insights into dispersal and evolution of endemic Lotus from the California Channel Islands

了解导致新物种起源的机制是进化生物学的主要目标。尽管新物种传统上被视为起源于与近亲隔绝的地方，但最近的数据表明，即使有高水平的基因流动，独特的进化实体也可能存在分歧。虽然遗传和生态因素都有助于新类群的分化，但连通性和隔离性在不同种群中的平衡和作用仍然知之甚少。该项目使用分子遗传、生态和形态数据来了解加州海峡群岛两个特有莲花物种的许多种群由于隔离和杂交之间的平衡而产生的分化模式。这些岛屿彼此靠近，也靠近加州大陆，但其中包含许多在大陆上找不到的独特物种。该项目有助于记录生物多样性和了解产生新物种的基本过程。这种理解对于有效保护和管理生物多样性及其所支持的生态系统服务是必要的。这项研究将阐明自然过程如何影响岛屿生态群落的连通性和分歧性，并将其应用于类似的大陆地区。这项研究还为许多本科生和研究生提供跨学科的研究培训，并与负责保护和管理生物多样性的机构和非政府组织进行了重要的接触。

Understanding the mechanisms that lead to the origin of new species is a primary goal of evolutionary biology. Although new species have traditionally been viewed as originating in isolation from close relatives, recent data suggest that unique evolutionary entities can diverge even with high levels of gene flow. Although both genetic and ecological factors contribute to divergence of new taxa, the balance and roles of connectivity and isolation in diverging populations remain poorly understood. This project uses molecular genetic, ecological, and morphological data to understand patterns of divergence resulting from the balance between isolation and interbreeding in many populations of two endemic Lotus species in the California Channel Islands. These islands are close to each other and mainland California, but contain many unique species not found on the mainland. This project contributes to the documentation of biodiversity and understanding of the underlying processes that generate new species. Such understanding is needed for effective conservation and management of biological diversity and the ecosystem services it supports. This study will clarify how natural processes influence connectivity and divergence in ecological communities of islands, with applications also to similar continental regions. The research also offers interdisciplinary research training for many undergraduate and graduate students and significant outreach to agencies and NGOs that are charged with conservation and management of biodiversity.