Quantifying the drivers of animal migration

迁徙是一种复杂的行为，在动物王国中独立和重复地进化，在塑造种群动态和生态系统过程中至关重要。然而，主要由于气候变化和其他人为因素，移徙事件已开始消失。这导致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科普其移徙路线上的人为和环境变化，移徙需要许多适应措施，而且已经证明有明确的遗传模式和遗传基础。我的DG计划旨在通过关注一组独特的有蹄类动物（驼鹿，黑尾鹿和山羊）来隐藏迁移的驱动因素，这些动物表现出一系列的迁移行为。我的计划的可行性反映在已经有多年的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），这些模式将与基因组和生理变异定量相关。使用一套新的基因组文库制备技术和测序策略，我们将测试的假设，一些大的影响基因参与塑造不同的迁移行为。新开发的检测方法将测试甲基化（即关闭和打开基因）参与迁移行为，而线粒体基因组上的选择将与线粒体呼吸速率相关联，以共同测试迁移适应性的线粒体假说。使用比较基因组学和荟萃分析，我们将测试一个共同的基因组结构迁移行为。最后，我的总干事的长期愿景是制定一个基于分析的框架，推断不断变化的环境对人口的影响;这将通过对迁徙栖息地进行时间建模并将栖息地的变化与推断的有效人口规模和其他人口参数的变化定量联系起来来实现。将基因组、表观遗传和呼吸模式与不同的迁徙行为整体联系起来，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，从而推进多个方面的基础研究。有蹄动物的保护和管理有直接的影响，在确定如何硬连线迁移行为，并评估改变迁移栖息地的人口影响。我预计培训10名HQP（5名格拉德; 5名本科生）在尖端基因组学，生物信息学和建模技术。这些技能具有高度的可转移性，在加拿大不断增长的生物经济中需求量很大。

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.