CORRELATED CHARACTERS IN COMPLEX GENETIC SYSTEMS

自然选择通常作用于表型，但如果没有 群体中个体之间的遗传变异。 遗传 性状之间的相关性是由于普遍存在的多效性 基因的（多种）效应和连锁不平衡（非随机） 影响不同性状的等位基因的关联）。 这些是 特别重要的是，在确定对选择或随机选择的反应时， 小种群的遗传漂变，因为遗传相关 角色不能独立进化。 进化生物学家只是 开始解释遗传相关性在 限制了种群的进化。 该项目将重点关注 模拟复杂遗传系统中相关性状的进化 与比较形态学、行为学、生态学和古生物学有关。 明确的模型有助于指导实证研究，建议新的 现象进行调查，并确定重要的参数， 测定了 这些研究将有助于澄清基本问题 关于自然群体中相关性状的进化， 并且还将应用于害虫或疾病控制程序， 人工繁殖试验

Natural selection generally acts on phenotypes, but is in effective without genetic variation between individuals in a population. Genetic correlations between characters are due to ubiquitous pleiotropic (manifold) effects of genes, and linkage disequilibrium (nonrandom associations of alleles affecting different traits). These are particularly important in determining the response to selection, or random genetic drift in small populations, because genetically correlated characters cannot evolve independently. Evolutionary biologists are only beginning to account for the crucial role of genetic correlations in constraining the evolution of populations. This project will focus on modeling evolution of correlated characters in complex genetic systems pertaining to comparative morphology, behavior, ecology and paleontology. Explicit models help to guide empirical research by suggesting new phenomena to investigate and identifying important parameters to be measured. These studies will help to clarify fundamental questions concerning the evolution of correlated characters in natural populations, and will also have applications in pest or disease control programs and in artificial breeding experiments.