Speciation and sexual selection in acoustically communicating grasshoppers

分析种群分化和新物种产生的机制，是理解生物多样性进化的基础。交配偏好和性选择特征可以在种群之间迅速分化，这可能会导致交配前的生殖隔离，从而导致新物种的进化。我们计划研究复杂通信系统（这里是蝗虫的声学通信）在物种群辐射中的作用。分子系统发育将首先作为研究信号（雄性鸣叫）进化的参考框架，其次比较交流和非交流群体之间以及交流系统复杂性不同的群体之间的物种形成率。

The analysis of mechanisms how populations differentiate and new species arise, is fundamental for understanding the evolution of biological diversity. Mating preferences and sexually selected characters can rapidly diverge between populations, and this probably can lead to premating reproductive isolation and hence the evolution of new species. We plan to investigate the role of complex communication systems (here acoustic communication in grasshoppers) for the radiation of species flocks. A molecular phylogeny will be used first as a reference frame to study the evolution of signals (male songs) and second to compare speciation rates between communicating and non-communicating groups as well as among groups that differ in the complexity of their communication system.