NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2021: Assessing potential parallel evolution of heterodonty via co-option of shared developmental modules

这一行动为NSF 2021财年生物学博士后研究奖学金提供了资金，综合研究调查了支配基因组、环境和表型之间相互作用的生命规则。该奖学金支持研究员的研究和培训，这些研究员将以创新的方式为生活规则领域做出贡献。平行进化是指生物体使用相同的祖先基因进化出相似的特征。对并行进化如何工作的详细研究很少，但对于理解进化自我重复的频率是重要的。平行进化的一个可能的特别有用的例子是异牙，即沿着颌骨的牙齿大小/形状的差异。这一特征可以在胚胎和化石中观察到，从而提供了关于其潜在的遗传学和远古进化的信息。异齿在哺乳动物中最为人所知，但它也在许多爬行动物中进化。这项研究将确定哺乳动物和爬行动物是否使用相同的基因发育异牙。这位研究员将使用爬行动物下颌的微CT扫描来识别它们不同的牙齿区域，然后观察爬行动物胚胎中正常的牙齿发育，看看它是否涉及与哺乳动物相同的基因。如果是这样的话，爬行动物胚胎中的这些基因将被阻断，以评估它们发展异齿的必要性。这项研究将为研究员提供必要的培训，以建立一个结合胚胎发育和古生物学技术的研究计划。此外，该项目将通过耶鲁皮博迪博物馆和一个在线视频系列将流行文化与进化中的主要概念联系起来，扩大到不同的公众成员。哺乳动物的异牙是通过同源盒转录因子在发育中的牙齿上皮中的区域化表达而产生的，这种表达模式在雏鸡中也是已知的。这项研究将确定是否同样的表达模式也被用于爬行动物异齿的发育。这位研究员将使用分段线性回归来识别异牙爬行动物颌骨的µ-CT扫描中牙行区域之间的边界。然后，原位杂交将评估同源盒基因的表达是否与爬行动物胚胎中已识别的牙齿区域一致。这位研究员还将使用珠子植入来评估同源框基因在描绘异齿爬行动物牙列区域的必要性。这个项目将对这位研究员进行分子发育技术方面的培训，以补充她在功能形态学和古生物学方面的经验。该研究员将利用这些广泛的专业知识来教育公众有关功能形态和发育的知识。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2021, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports research and training of the Fellow that will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Parallel evolution is when organisms evolve similar traits using the same ancestral genes. Detailed study of how parallel evolution works is rare, but it is important for understanding how often evolution repeats itself. One possible example of parallel evolution that would be particularly useful is heterodonty, a difference in tooth size/shape along the jaw. This feature can be observed in embryos and in fossils, providing information on its underlying genetics and evolution through deep time. Heterodonty is best known in mammals, but it has also evolved in many reptiles. This research will determine whether heterodonty develops using the same genes in mammals and reptiles. The Fellow will use µ-CT scans of reptile jaws to identify their distinct tooth regions and then observe normal tooth development in reptile embryos to see if it involves the same genes as in mammals. If this is the case, these genes in reptile embryos will be blocked to assess their necessity for developing heterodonty. This research will provide the Fellow with training necessary to build a research program combining techniques from embryonic development and paleontology. Additionally, this project will involve outreach to diverse members of the public through the Yale Peabody Museum and an online video series connecting pop culture with major concepts in evolution. Mammalian heterodonty is generated via regionalized expression of homeobox transcription factors in the developing dental epithelium, and this expression pattern is also known in chicks. This research will determine whether that same expression pattern was also co-opted for the development of reptilian heterodonty. The Fellow will use segmented linear regression to identify boundaries between toothrow regions in µ-CT scans of heterodont reptile jaws. Then, in situ hybridization will assess whether homeobox gene expression coincides with the identified tooth regions in reptile embryos. The Fellow will also use bead implantation to evaluate the necessity of homeobox genes in delineating regions of heterodont reptilian toothrows. This project will train the Fellow in molecular developmental techniques to complement her experience with functional morphology and paleontology. The Fellow will use this wide range of expertise to educate the public about functional morphology and development.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.