Quantifying the drivers of animal migration

迁徙是一种复杂的行为，在动物王国中独立而反复地进化，对形成种群动态和生态系统过程至关重要。然而，由于气候变化和其他人为因素，移民事件已经开始消失。这导致了迫切需要了解迁移的内部驱动因素，重点是基因组结构和生理机制。这种评估的目的是评价人口是否能够应付其迁徙路线的人为和环境变化。******迁移需要许多适应，并且已经证明了明确的遗传模式和遗传基础。我的DG项目旨在通过关注一组独特的有蹄动物（驼鹿、骡鹿和山羊）来揭示迁徙的驱动因素，这些动物表现出一系列的迁徙行为。我的方案的可行性体现在已经有多年的GPS跟踪数据和冷冻组织。GPS定位数据将用于确定个体迁移模式（时间、目的地和栖息地选择），这些模式将定量地与基因组和生理变异联系起来。******使用一套新颖的基因组文库制备技术和测序策略，我们将测试一些大影响基因参与形成不同迁移行为的假设。新开发的分析将测试甲基化（即关闭和打开基因）参与迁移行为，而线粒体基因组的选择将与线粒体呼吸速率联系起来，以共同测试“适应迁移的线粒体”假说。使用比较基因组学和荟萃分析，我们将测试迁移行为的共同基因组结构。最后，我的总干事的长期愿景是建立一个基于经验的框架，推断不断变化的环境对人口的影响；这将通过对迁徙生境进行时间模拟，并将生境的变化与推断的有效人口规模和其他人口参数的变化在数量上联系起来来实现。******将基因组、表观遗传和呼吸模式与不同的迁徙行为全面联系起来，将为运动生态学和野生动物遗传研究提供突破性的进展。传统上不同的数据流的创新合并可以应用于陆地和海洋系统，从而推进多个领域的基础研究。在确定迁徙行为有多顽固以及评估迁徙栖息地改变对人口的影响方面，有蹄类动物的保护和管理有直接影响。我期望培养10名HQP（5名研究生，5名本科生）在尖端基因组学、生物信息学和建模技术方面。这些技能是高度可转移的，并且在不断发展的加拿大生物经济中很有需求。

Migration is a complex behaviour that evolved independently and repeatedly across the animal kingdom and is vitally important in shaping population dynamics and ecosystem processes. However, migration events have started to disappear primarily due to climate change and other anthropogenic factors. This has led to an urgency to understand the internal drivers of migration, with an emphasis on genomic architecture and physiological mechanisms. The goal of such assessments is to evaluate whether populations can cope with anthropogenic and environmental changes to their migratory routes.******Numerous adaptations are required for migration and clear patterns of inheritance and a genetic underpinning have been demonstrated. My DG program aims to undercover the drivers of migration by focussing on a unique suite of ungulates (moose, mule deer, and mountain goat) that exhibit a range of migratory behaviour. The feasibility of my program is reflected in already having multi-year GPS tracking data and frozen tissue. The GPS location data will be used to determine individual migration patterns (timing, destination, and habitat selection) that will be quantitatively linked to genomic and physiological variation. ******Using a suite of novel genomic library preparation techniques and sequencing strategies, we will test the hypothesis that a few genes of large effect are involved in shaping divergent migratory behaviours. Newly developed assays will test for methylation (i.e. turning genes off and on) involvement in migratory behaviour, while selection on the mitochondrial genome will be linked to mitochondrial respiration rates to collectively test the ‘migration-adapted mitochondrion' hypothesis. Using comparative genomics and meta-analyses we will test for a common genomic architecture to migratory behaviour. Finally, the long-term vision of my DG is to develop an empirically-based framework that infers the demographic impact of changing environments; this will be achieved by temporal modelling of migratory habitat and quantitatively linking shifts in habitat to inferred changes in effective population size and other demographic parameters. ******Holistically linking genomic, epigenetic, and respiration patterns to divergent migratory behaviour will provide ground-breaking advances in movement ecology and wildlife genetic research. The innovative merger of traditionally disparate data streams can be applied to terrestrial and marine systems, thereby advancing basic research on multiple fronts. There is a direct impact to ungulate conservation and management in determining how hard-wired migratory behaviours are, and assessing the demographic impact of altered migration habitat. I anticipate training 10 HQP (5 grad; 5 undergrad) in cutting-edge genomics, bioinformatics, and modelling techniques. These skills are highly transferrable and in demand in the growing Canadian bio-economy.