MCA: Diversification dynamics and comparative genomics of the birds of Madagascar

这项中期职业发展（MCA）奖将扩大对马达加斯加独特鸟类的进化和保护需求的了解。像马达加斯加这样的岛屿经常被认为是研究物种如何在孤立环境中进化的自然实验室。由于面积较小，岛屿生态系统也非常容易灭绝。这个研究项目将测试物种如何适应、多样化和应对灭绝风险的基本理论，利用马达加斯加的生物多样性热点，在地球上其他地方找不到特别的物种。此外，该研究将开发一个新的框架，用于研究允许极端形态和功能适应环境变化的基因组变化的进化。例如，一些马达加斯加鸟类谱系被认为是适应性辐射，因为它们表现出可能由于新的生态机会而进化的戏剧性特征。这个项目将有助于我们进一步了解在生物多样性进化中决定形式和功能的基因组基础。此外，该奖项将支持不同职业阶段和兴趣的不同研究人员之间的合作，促进国际机构之间的伙伴关系，并促进本科和研究生教育。本研究整合了系统发育学、生物地理学、基因组学和保护，以解决两个主要目标。首先，本研究将使用一个结合岛屿生物地理参数和系统发育多样化的创新模型，研究马达加斯加鸟类灭绝风险的宏观进化后果。马达加斯加是一个独特的生物地理系统，它结合了岛屿和大陆的过程；该项目将测试多样化模型的广泛适用性，并为这一高度受威胁的生物多样性热点地区的保护评估提供信息。其次，该项目将使用比较基因组学来整合适应性辐射的基因型-表型分析。该项目将重点关注马达加斯加的三个特有种群，促进对生态和形态变异的潜在基因组结构的研究，以更好地了解各种性状的起源和功能。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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。

This Mid-Career Advancement (MCA) Award will expand knowledge of the evolution and conservation needs of the unique birds of Madagascar. Islands such as Madagascar are often considered natural laboratories to study how species evolved in isolated environments. Given their smaller size, island ecosystems are also highly vulnerable to extinction. This research project will test fundamental theories of how species adapt, diversify, and respond to extinction risks using the biodiversity hotspot of Madagascar, with extraordinary species found nowhere else on the planet. Additionally, the research will develop a new framework for studying the genomic changes that allow the evolution of extreme morphological and functional adaptations to environmental change. For example, some Malagasy bird lineages are considered adaptive radiations because they exhibit dramatic features that likely evolved due to new ecological opportunities. This project will help further our knowledge of the genomic foundations that determine form and function in the evolution of biodiversity. Moreover, this award will support collaboration between diverse researchers of varied career stages and interests, foster partnerships between international institutions, and promote undergraduate and graduate education.This research integrates phylogenetics, biogeography, genomics, and conservation to address two main objectives. First, using an innovative model that incorporates island biogeographic parameters with phylogenetic diversification, this study will investigate the macroevolutionary consequences of extinction risk in the Malagasy avifauna. Madagascar is a unique biogeographic system that combines both island and continental processes; this project will test the broad applicability of diversification models and also inform conservation assessments in this highly threatened biodiversity hotspot. Second, this project will use comparative genomics to integrate genotype-phenotype analyses in adaptive radiations. With a focus on three Malagasy endemic groups, this project will catalyze research into the underlying genomic architecture of ecological and morphological variation to better understand the origins and functions of various traits.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.