Inbreeding as driving force in evolution

本研究项目的总体目标是研究近亲繁殖是否会推动社会进化，包括配偶选择、装饰和多样化在内的生殖特征的进化。Pelvicachromis系统注定要研究近亲繁殖的进化后果，因为这个群体在物种内部和物种之间表现出高度的表型多样性，而双亲本的鲷鱼Pelvicachromis taeniatus是积极近亲繁殖的最好研究例子之一。在本项目的第一阶段，我们全面研究了遗传亲缘关系对生殖和社会行为的影响。在随后的阶段，我们发现多代近亲繁殖改变了配偶选择和近亲交配偏好（近亲繁殖避免近交系鱼），但增加了颜色装饰的表达。我们也首次发现近亲繁殖可以改善青少年的社会行为。下一阶段的目标是全面研究近亲繁殖（即近亲繁殖）对家庭内部社会互动的影响，包括雄性和雌性在产卵前的生殖行为，在育儿期间的父母合作，而不是亲子互动，以及青少年之间的互动。此外，我们将研究近亲交配如何影响与装饰表达相关的雄性和雌性的性别间和性别内选择。我们将整合来自行为、食物操纵和育种实验以及颜色分析的结果，并将其与全基因组杂合性数据联系起来。

The overall goal of this research project is to examine whether inbreeding drives social evolution, the evolution of reproductive traits including mate choice and ornamentation as well as diversification. The Pelvicachromis system is predestined to examine the evolutionary consequences of inbreeding because this group shows a high phenotypic diversity within and between species and the biparental cichlid fish Pelvicachromis taeniatus is one of the best studied examples for active inbreeding. In the first phase of the present project we comprehensively examined the impact of genetic relatedness on reproductive and social behaviour. In the subsequent phase, we showed that multigenerational inbreeding changes mate choice and kin mating preference (inbreeding avoidance of inbred fish) but increases the expression of colour ornaments. We also find first evidence that inbreeding improves juvenile social behaviour. The aim of the next phase is to comprehensively examine the impact of inbreeding (i.e. inbredness) on within-family social interactions ranging from reproductive behaviour of males and females before spawning, parental cooperation during brood care over parent-offspring interactions to interactions among juveniles. Further, we will examine how inbredness affects inter- and intra-sexual selection of males and females in relation to ornament expression. We will integrate the results from behavioral, food manipulation and breeding experiments as well as colour analyses and relate it to genome-wide heterozygosity data.