Population genetics of adaptation in wild tomatoes

原产于南美洲西部和加拉帕戈斯群岛的野生番茄物种是一种进化的植物模式系统。虽然野生番茄的起源相对较晚，但它们表现出相当大的形态和功能变异，其中大部分被认为是适应性的。例如，它们生活在各种生境中，温度和水的供应范围很广，因此受到不同的非生物压力。该项目的目标是分析影响两种胁迫反应（冷适应和耐旱性）的“候选基因”的进化。使用在不同环境条件的栖息地收集的种群样本的DNA测序和一套统计技术，我们将确定这些基因是否受到最近的选择。

Wild tomato species, native to western South America and the Galapagos Islands, are an evolutionary plant model system. Although wild tomatoes have a relatively recent origin, they exhibit considerable morphological and functional variation, much of which is thought to be adaptive. For instance, they dwell in a variety of habitats, spanning a wide range of temperatures and water availability and are therefore exposed to different abiotic stress regimes. The goal of this project is to analyze the evolution of “candidate genes” influencing two stress responses, cold adaptation and drought tolerance. Using DNA sequencing of population samples collected in habitats of different environmental conditions and a suite of statistical techniques, we will determine whether these genes have been subject to recent selection.