New insights from new molecular data: dispersal, hybridization and speciation

我的研究旨在了解进化模式以及在自然种群中产生这些模式的过程。在接下来的五年里，我将重点关注在种群和物种之间发生的三个过程。1)性别偏向扩散。在一夫多妻制的交配系统中，男性可能比女性分散得更多，而女性在一夫一妻制中可能分散得更多。这些一般规则主要来自哺乳动物和鸟类(温血动物，有广泛的父母照顾)，可能不适用于大多数动物物种(冷血动物，父母照顾较少)。我们将使用新发展的种群遗传学方法间接研究蜥蜴的扩散模式，从而检验旧的和可能产生的新的广泛适用的理论。2)萌芽物种形成。物种形成产生了新的物种，而“萌芽物种形成”的概念对物种划分中常用的“单系标准”提出了挑战。以广布的无尾两栖动物物种为模式系统，我们将测试萌芽物种形成和潜在的隔离机制的出现频率。随着经验数据的积累，我们还将建立萌芽物种形成的模型。3)历史的种间杂交和核基因组与线粒体基因组的解偶联。一些种间杂交可能导致一个物种的线粒体基因组被另一个物种取代，而核基因组保持不变。这种替换可能会破坏两个基因组之间的共同适应。利用蛋白质结构模型，我们将研究这种胞核解偶联的后果。

My research aims to understand evolutionary patterns and the processes that produce them in natural populations. In the next five years, I will focus on three processes that occur at the boundary between population and species. 1) Sex-biased dispersal. Males likely disperse more than females do in a polygyny mating system while females likely disperse more in a monogamy system. These general rules were primarily derived from mammals and birds (warm-blooded with extensive parental care) and may not be applicable to the majority animal species (cold blooded with minor parental care). We will use newly developed population genetic methods indirectly examine lizard dispersal patterns, and thus test the old and likely generate new widely applicable theories. 2) Budding speciation. Speciation produces new species and the concept "budding speciation" challenges the commonly used "monophyly criterion" in species delineation. Using widespread anuran species as model systems, we will test the occurrence frequency of budding speciation and potential isolation machnisms. With the accumulation of empirical data, we will also establish a model for budding speciation. 3) Historical inter-specific hybridization and the uncoupling of nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. Some inter-specific hybridization may result in the mitochondrial genome of one species being replaced by another while the nuclear genome remains intact. Such replacements may break down the co-adaptation between the two genomes. Using protein structure modeling, we will examine the consequence of such cyto-nuclear uncoupling.