Identifying genes causing thermal evolution of ectotherm body size

冷血动物在离赤道更远的地方发现，它们的体型会增加。这些模式是由于人口适应温度。该项目的目的是确定参与这一适应过程的基因。我们将通过利用澳大利亚东海岸醋蝇中一个经过充分研究的体型渐变群，并通过建立一个领先的英国和两个澳大利亚研究小组之间的国际合作来做到这一点。这样做，我们将在分子水平上解释生物学中一个尚未解决的重大现象：为什么冷血动物在寒冷中会变大？这项研究还带来了操纵动物体型的可能性。

Cold-blooded animals increase in body size as they are found in populations at greater distances from the equator. These patterns are due to populations adapting to temperature. The aim of this project is to identify the genes involved in this adaptation process. We will do this by taking advantage of a well-studied body size cline in the vinegar fly on the east coast of Australia, and by building on an international collaboration between a leading UK and two Australian research groups. In doing so we will provide an explanation at the molecular level for one of the great unresolved phenomena in biology: why do cold-blooded animals get bigger in the cold? The research also leads to the potential to manipulate body size in animals.