DISSERTATION RESEARCH: MIMETIC DIVERGENCE AND THE EVOLUTION OF REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION IN THE MIMIC POISON FROG, RANITOMEYA IMITATOR

了解物种如何形成是了解生物多样性如何产生的核心目标。物种形成可能由许多原因驱动，例如，单一物种对不同环境的适应，这一过程被称为生态物种形成。模拟辐射（当一个单一物种自适应地辐射，以模仿不同的模式物种）是研究生态物种形成的理想方案。我们已经在一种秘鲁毒蛙（Ranitomeya imitator）身上发现了一种模拟辐射，这种毒蛙的颜色模式发生了差异，以模仿四种不相关的模式物种。本项目的目的是评估拟态分化是否导致了不同拟态形态间的生殖隔离。为了验证这一点，该项目将使用群体遗传分析、配偶选择实验和广告呼叫分析相结合的方法来评估模仿变种之间的生殖隔离。这个项目可能有助于阐明生态物种形成是否以可预测的方式发生，通过确定形态差异是否是生殖隔离的预测因子。研究物种，Ranitomeya模仿者，最近因其卓越的亲代照顾策略而受到高度宣传，无论是由BBC (？冷血的生活？系列)和NHK（日本广播公司，目前正在制作中）。然而，令人惊讶的是，关于这个物种的研究很少。迷人的模仿系统，这可能是因为这个物种的这方面几乎没有被研究过。由于模仿为自然选择提供了这样一个视觉上强有力的例子，这项研究可能有助于将这个物种的这方面？公众眼中的生物学。

Understanding how species form is a central goal for understanding how biodiversity is generated. Speciation may be driven by many causes, for example, by adaptation of a single species to distinct environments, a process known as ecological speciation. A mimetic radiation (when a single species adaptively radiates to resemble distinct model species) represents an ideal scenario for studying ecological speciation. We have identified a mimetic radiation in a species of Peruvian poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator, that has undergone divergence in color pattern to mimic four unrelated model species. The goal of this project is to assess whether mimetic divergence has led to reproductive isolation among different mimetic morphs of R. imitator. To test this, this project will assess reproductive isolation between mimetic morphs using a combination of population genetic analyses, mate choice experiments, and analyses of advertisement calls. This project may help elucidate whether ecological speciation occurs in a predictable way by identifying whether morphological divergence is a predictor of reproductive isolation. The study species, Ranitomeya imitator, has been highly publicized recently for its remarkable parental care strategies, both by the BBC (?Life in Cold Blood? series) and by the NHK (Japanese Broadcasting Corporation, currently in production). However, surprisingly little has been made about this species? fascinating mimicry system, which may be because this aspect of the species has barely been studied. As mimicry provides such a visually powerful example of natural selection, this research may help bring this aspect of this species? biology to the public eye.