COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Comparative and temporal biodiversity genomics of Ethiopian Highland montane forest passerine birds

人类已经影响了地球的景观，包括大规模的森林破碎。虽然研究人员已经记录了由于人类影响造成的生态系统退化或物种损失，但对特定物种的种群如何对森林破碎化作出反应的研究较少，特别是在没有长期监测的地区。随着生境越来越分散和种群规模越来越小，森林物种更容易受到偶然的极端自然事件的影响，物种内遗传变异的减少降低了未来的适应潜力。使用来自埃塞俄比亚高地的森林鸣禽作为模型系统来研究种群随时间的变化，研究人员将使用当代样本以及自然历史收藏中约100年前的档案样本来测量当前和过去的遗传变异和种群人口统计数据。因此，本项目将提供关于上世纪森林破碎化如何影响森林特有物种种群趋势的见解。该项目产生的信息和结果将用于改善STEM教育，包括基因组学研究的正式本科生和研究生培训，以及德克萨斯理工大学新的以研究为重点的本科生基因组学课程的开发。本研究中使用的博物馆标本将用于提高公众的科学素养和参与度，包括通过Brain Scoop YouTube视频系列进行数字和面对面的宣传，以及在芝加哥菲尔德自然历史博物馆的Grainger科学中心进行实践科学发现，都使用了20世纪20年代的鸟类标本40年代，展示博物馆标本如何用于了解生物多样性随时间的变化。这项研究将确定森林破碎化如何塑造时间埃塞俄比亚山地森林雀形目鸟类（鸟类：雀形目）在过去100年的种群基因组变异。利用现代和历史采样的全基因组序列数据，研究人员将估计人口统计学历史，种群内的遗传多样性，种群间的遗传分化和基因流动的相对速率，以测试有关以下方面的假设：（1）时空模式和多样化过程，（2）物种特异性特征（例如，分散能力）形成多样化，以及（3）过去世纪种群基因组多样性产生、维持或侵蚀的模式。该项目的最终产品将包括埃塞俄比亚几种森林鸟类的开放基因组资源，通过美国，埃塞俄比亚和全球观众的演示文稿，报告和手稿进行结果的科学交流，以及学生培训研究的各个方面，包括实地研究，基因组序列生成，生物信息学，该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Humans have impacted Earth’s landscape, including large scale forest fragmentation. While researchers have documented ecosystem degradation or species loss due to human impacts, how populations of particular species have reacted to forest fragmentation has been less studied, particularly in regions without long term monitoring. With increasingly fragmented habitats and smaller population sizes, forest species are more susceptible to chance extreme natural events, and reduced within-species genetic variation decreases future adaptive potential. Using forest songbirds from the Ethiopian Highlands as a model system to study population changes through time, the researchers will measure current and past genetic variation and population demographics using contemporary samples as well as archival samples from ~100 years ago housed in natural history collections. Consequently, this project will provide insight about how the past century’s forest fragmentation has impacted population trends in forest-specialized species. The information and results generated by this project will be used to improve STEM education, including formal undergraduate and graduate training in genomics research as well as development of a new research-focused undergraduate genomics course at Texas Tech University. Museum specimens used in this research will be utilized to increase public scientific literacy and engagement, including digital and in-person outreach through the Brain Scoop YouTube video series and hands-on science discovery at the Grainger Science Hub at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, both using bird specimens from the 1920s-40s to show how museum specimens may be used for understanding changes in biodiversity through time.This research will determine how forest fragmentation has shaped temporal population genomic variation in Ethiopian montane forest passerine birds (Aves: Passeriformes) over the past 100 years. Using whole-genome sequence data from modern and historical sampling, the researchers will estimate demographic histories, genetic diversity within populations, genetic differentiation between populations, and relative rates of gene flow to test hypotheses about (1) spatiotemporal patterns and processes of diversification, (2) species-specific characteristics (e.g., dispersal ability) shaping diversification, and (3) patterns of population genomic diversity generation, maintenance, or erosion through the past century. The project’s final products will include open genomic resources for several species of Ethiopian forest birds, science communication of results via presentations, reports, and manuscripts for audiences in the US, Ethiopia, and globally, and student training in all aspects of the research including field studies, genomic sequence generation, bioinformatics, and dissemination.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.