DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Causes and Consequence of Rapid Evolution of Seminal Fluid Protein Genes in Populations of the Red Flour Beetle, Tribolium castaneum

雄性产生无数的蛋白质，这些蛋白质在交配过程中传递给雌性，直接影响生殖的成功。作为一个群体，编码这些雄性生殖蛋白的基因表现出更高水平的遗传多样性和快速进化。提出的研究旨在进一步了解男性生殖蛋白快速进化的进化原因和后果，这是一种普遍存在但神秘的模式。以红粉甲虫为模型系统，本研究将结合遗传和表型方法来区分两种不同的假设，以解释在这类基因中观察到的快速进化。具体来说，这项研究旨在确定遗传变异的积累是由于适应性的还是中性的进化力量。这项研究也将使一些本科生受益，他们将由研究生共同负责人培训。该联合项目负责人还为一个面向大众的科普博客撰稿。此外，了解男性生殖蛋白的进化将为应用研究领域提供信息。例如，旨在开发昆虫病媒和农业害虫（如红粉甲虫）生物控制方法的努力最近已开始调查这组基因是否可能为人口控制提供新的途径。

Males produce a myriad of proteins that are transferred to the female during mating and directly influence reproductive success. As a group, the genes that encode these male reproductive proteins exhibit elevated levels genetic diversity and rapid evolution. The proposed research aims to further understand the evolutionary causes and consequences of the rapid evolution of male reproductive proteins, a ubiquitous but enigmatic pattern. Using the red flour beetle as a model system, this research will combine both genetic and phenotypic approaches to differentiate between two alternate hypotheses proposed to explain the rapid evolution observed among this class of genes. Specifically, the research aims to determine whether the accumulation of genetic variation is due to adaptive or neutral evolutionary forces. This research will also benefit a number of undergraduate students who will be trained by the graduate student co-PI. The co-PI also contributes to a popular science blog accessible to a general audience. Furthermore, understanding the evolution of male reproductive proteins will inform areas of applied research. For example, efforts aimed at developing biological control methods for insect disease vectors and agricultural pests, such as the red flour beetle, have recently begun to investigate whether this group of genes may provide new avenues for population control.