DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Identifying and Measuring Components of Reproductive Isolation Between Terminal Forms of the Ensatina eschscholtzii Ring Species Complex

salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii是“环形物种”最著名的例子，这是一种罕见的情况，在这种情况下，一群杂交种群围绕着一个不合适的栖息地，而该环的末端种群在同一地区存在，没有杂交。这一建议旨在识别和测量阻碍Ensatina末端形式之间基因流动的繁殖障碍。交配试验将用于测试可能减少终端形式之间交配的求爱行为的差异。将确定这些杂交后代的亲子关系，以调查雌性多次交配时精子使用的模式。最后，一项标记重新捕获研究将测试不同的栖息地偏好是否会减少与其他形式的个体相遇（和交配）的机会。这项研究将提供一个详细的案例研究，在自然界中，阻止早期物种之间基因流动的障碍被识别和测量。该项目将直接支持研究生，并将包括来自不同背景的本科生参与。研究结果将通过获奖的“理解进化论”网站（http://evolution.berkeley.edu/）向公众公布，该网站由加州大学伯克利分校开发和维护，旨在为教师和学生提供进化论教育的资源。

The salamander Ensatina eschscholtzii is the most famous example of a 'ring species', a rare situation in which a ring of interbreeding populations surrounds an area of unsuitable habitat and the end populations of the ring exist in the same area without interbreeding. This proposal seeks to identify and measure the barriers to reproduction that prevent gene flow between the terminal forms of Ensatina. Mating trials will be used to test for differences in courtship behavior that may reduce mating between the terminal forms. Parentage will be determined for the offspring of these crosses to investigate patterns of sperm use when females have mated multiple times. Finally, a mark-recapture study will test whether differential habitat preference reduces the opportunity for encountering (and mating with) individuals of the alternative form. This study will provide a detailed case study in nature where barriers that prevent gene flow between incipient species are identified and measured. The project will directly support a graduate student and will include participation by undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. Results will be communicated to the public via the award-winning 'Understanding Evolution' website (http://evolution.berkeley.edu/), a site developed and maintained by UC Berkeley to provide resources for evolution education to teachers and students.