CAREER: Genetic & evolutionary mechanisms of ecological divergence in migration tendency in salmonid fishes

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。许多动物群体（如哺乳动物，鸟类，鱼类）在觅食地和繁殖地之间进行长距离迁徙。另一种进化的“决定”的移民与永久居留权发挥重要作用，在保持生态多样性的动物类群。鲑鱼，鳟鱼，红点鲑和白鲑物种是一个特别多样化的鱼类群体，在迁移的倾向和时间上各不相同，并作为一个很好的模型来研究这种特性的遗传和进化。使用虹鳟鱼和虹鳟鱼，表现出迁移和居住在其原产地范围内的变化，本研究旨在揭示这种特性的多样化过程中形成的基因，沿着这些替代策略的发展和分子机制。这项研究的结果将为保护一个经济和进化上重要的鱼类群体做出重要贡献。这项研究将与美洲原住民的外联和教育结合起来，包括那些依靠洄游鱼类生存的人。气候变化已被证明会改变这类鱼类中某些物种的迁徙模式。了解移民或居住地的遗传学和演变将为今后研究气候变化的影响提供重要的基线。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).A number of animal groups (e.g. mammals, birds, fish) undertake long-distance migrations between feeding and breeding grounds. The alternative evolutionary 'decisions' of migration versus permanent residency play important roles in maintaining ecological diversity across animal taxa. Salmon, trout, charr and whitefish species are an especially diverse group of fishes that vary in the propensity and timing of migration, and serve as an excellent model to study the genetics and evolution of this trait. Using rainbow and steelhead trout, which exhibit variability in migration and residency across their native range, this research aims to reveal the genes that have been shaped during the diversification of this trait along with the developmental and molecular mechanisms that underlie these alternate strategies. Results from this research will make important contributions to the conservation of an economically and evolutionarily important group of fishes. The study integrates outreach and education with Native Americans, including those whose subsistence depends on migratory fish species. Climate change has been shown to alter the migration patterns of some species in this group of fishes. Understanding the genetics and evolution of migration or residency will provide an important baseline for future studies on the impacts of climate change.