Genetic and Demographic Approaches to Life History Evolution in a Wild Lemur Population

了解生态和遗传因素的形状变化的生活史特征是生活史研究的一个中心挑战。在按年龄和性别划分的人口中，这一挑战尤其严峻。虽然许多研究从生活史的角度获得了理论依据，但只有少数实证研究表明生活史特征是如何由生物和非生物因素塑造的，以及这些特征如何反过来影响种群增长和进化动力学。目前，对塑造种群内生活史时间表的近似机制的见解来自少数容易操纵和/或圈养的生物体，它们具有相对"快"的生活史时间表。对于寿命长、性成熟缓慢的物种（如大多数灵长类动物），对哪些生活史特征是适应性的关键决定因素的理解仍然很差。本研究的主要目的是：（1）确定在一个生活史缓慢的物种中，生活史性状是如何受到遗传、性别特异性和生态因素的影响的：（2）确定这些生活史性状中哪些是目前正在被选择的;（3）确定这些生活史性状的表型变异/共变异模式。（4）确定加性遗传、环境、母体、该项目的数据来自一个连续监测的野生狐猴种群，Verreaux's sifaka（Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi）。分子，人口统计学和数量遗传学技术将被用来表征生态和遗传因素，形状的变化和生活史性状的协变。该项目产生的结果将有助于开发人口模型，这些模型能够通过纳入相关的生态和遗传数据，对人口持续性作出现实的预测。该项目的结果还将通过确定哪些人口特征影响人口增长来为保护决策和管理战略提供信息。因此，从这个建议的结果将有理论和应用的保护生物学的影响。 马达加斯加公民将接受捕获方法的培训，项目成果将纳入波士顿大学的学术课程。

Understanding the ecological and genetic factors that shape variation in life history traits is a central challenge in life history studies. This challenge is particularly acute in populations structured by age and sex. Although numerous studies receive their theoretical rationale from a life history perspective, only a few empirical studies show how life history traits are shaped by biotic and abiotic factors, and how these traits, in turn, affect population growth and evolutionary dynamics. At present, insights into the proximate mechanisms that shape life history schedules within populations come from a handful of easily manipulated and/or captive organisms that have relatively "fast" life history schedules. Understanding of which life history traits are key determinants of fitness remains poorly characterized for long-lived, slowly sexually maturing species such as most primates. The research aims of this proposal are: (1) To determine how life history traits are influenced by genetic, sex-specific, and ecological factors in a species with a slow life history schedule; (2) To determine which of these life history traits are currently under selection; (3) To determine patterns of phenotypic variation/covariation in these life history traits (4) To determine patterns of additive genetic, environmental, maternal, and cohort variation/covariation in these life history traits.The data for this project come from a continuously monitored population of wild lemur, Verreaux's sifaka (Propithecus verreauxi verreauxi). Molecular, demographic, and quantitative genetic techniques will be employed to characterize the ecological and genetic factors that shape variation and covariation in life history traits. Results generated from this project will contribute to the development of demographic models that are capable of making realistic projections of population persistence by incorporating relevant ecological and genetic data. Results from this project will also be used to inform conservation decisions and management strategies by ascertaining which demographic traits influence population growth. As such, results from this proposal will have both theoretical and applied implications for conservation biology. Madagascar citizens will be trained in capture methods, and project results will be incorporated into the academic curriculum at Boston University.