The molecular evolution of a blind cichlid endemic to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the democratization of DNA

这项国际学位论文增强拨款支持雅各布·洛温斯坦(哥伦比亚大学)在美国自然历史博物馆/哥伦比亚大学梅勒妮·斯蒂亚西博士的监督下进行的研究。这项研究考察了在刚果河中发现的盲目慈鱼的进化遗传学，研究人员将与金沙萨大学和布拉柴维尔马里恩·恩古阿比大学农村发展研究所的研究人员合作进行这项研究。多年来，慈鱼因其无与伦比的进化成新物种的能力而吸引着生物学家。许多科学家认为，它们的视觉敏锐性是物种形成倾向的基础，并使它们能够非常有选择性地选择配偶和栖息地。叶蝉目的视觉和色素系统的进化背后的遗传学正在成为许多叶蝉目动物的证据。这项研究中研究的物种也是脱色素的，这为通过比较生物学了解物种形成背后的遗传学提供了许多机会。墨西哥利乐是一种不相关的物种，被用作进化发展研究的模型。像刚果河慈鱼一样，这种鱼的盲人个体脱色，下巴变大。因此，麻黄杆菌在连接这两个重要研究系统的基因功能方面具有巨大的未来潜力。这项研究将进一步完善物种鉴定的遗传技术，帮助测试和建立正在为刚果河下游鱼类开发的基因库。一旦完成，这一资源可协助非专家监测贸易或对以前未知的样本进行流行病学研究。

This international dissertation enhancement grant supports the research of Jacob Lowenstein (Columbia University) under the supervision of Dr. Melanie Stiassy (American Museum of Natural History/ Columbia University). The research examines the evolutionary genetics of the blind cichlid, Lamprologus lethops found in the Congo River and will be carried out in collaboration with researchers at the University of Kinshasa and the Institut de Développement Rural, Université Marien Ngouabi, Brazzaville.Cichlid fishes have fascinated biologists for years due to their unrivaled capacity to evolve into new species. Many scientists believe their visual acuity underlies this propensity to speciate, and enables them to choose mates and habitats with great selectivity. The genetics underlying the evolution of the cichlid visual and pigment system is becoming documented in a number of cichlids. The species studied in this research, which is also depigmented, provides many opportunities then to understand the genetics underlying speciation through comparative biology. The Mexican Tetra is an unrelated species used as a model for evolutionary development research. Like this Congo River cichlid, blind individuals of this fish are depigmented and have enlarged jaws. Thus, there is great future potential for L. lethops to lend insight into gene functioning bridging these two important study systems. This research will further refine genetic techniques for species identification helping to test and build a gene library being developed for Lower Congo River fishes. Once complete, this resource may assist non-specialists to monitor trade or conduct epidemiology studies on previously unknown samples.