Mate choice and evolutionary genetics in Xiphophorus hybrid zones

剑尾鱼杂交区的配偶选择和进化遗传学

• 批准号: 0923825
• 负责人: Gil Rosenthal
• 金额: $ 51万
• 依托单位: Texas A&M Research Foundation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-07-15 至 2013-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0923825&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Mate; choice; evolutionary; genetics; Xiphophorus

Choosing a mate is one of the most far-reaching decisions an animal can make. A female's mate choice can influence not only which male traits get passed on to the next generation, but also the formation of new species or the fusion of two species through hybridization. Mating preferences are complex, with females paying attention to numerous different male characteristics, and females often prefer male trait combinations never found in nature. How do complicated female mating preferences drive male trait evolution? This project takes advantage of remarkable natural hybrid zones between two species of swordtail fish in the Sierra Madre Oriental of central Mexico. Males of the two species are strikingly different in physical appearance, and females of the two species show strong differences in their preferences for male characters. Mating preferences for multiple male traits will be evaluated by presenting females with computer-animated clips of males. Genetic mapping will be used to identify which sets of genes are associated with male traits and female preferences. This genetic information will then be used to test how traits and preferences are associated in the wild. This project will directly connect the psychology of mate-choice decisions with the evolutionary consequences of these decisions. The project will sustain collaboration with Mexican researchers, mentoring of minority undergraduates, and conservation, sustainable development, and outreach efforts in rural Mexico.

选择配偶是动物可以做出的影响最深远的决定之一。 雌性的配偶选择不仅可以影响将哪些雄性特征传递给下一代，还可以影响新物种的形成或通过杂交实现两个物种的融合。 交配偏好很复杂，雌性关注许多不同的雄性特征，并且雌性通常更喜欢自然界中从未发现的雄性特征组合。 复杂的女性交配偏好如何驱动男性特征进化？该项目利用了墨西哥中部东马德雷山脉两种剑尾鱼之间显着的自然杂交区。 这两个物种的雄性在外貌上有着显着的差异，而这两个物种的雌性在对男性角色的偏好上也表现出巨大的差异。 通过向雌性展示雄性的计算机动画剪辑，可以评估对多种雄性特征的交配偏好。 遗传图谱将用于识别哪些基因组与男性特征和女性偏好相关。 然后，这些遗传信息将被用来测试性状和偏好在野外是如何关联的。 该项目将直接将择偶决策的心理学与这些决策的进化后果联系起来。 该项目将维持与墨西哥研究人员的合作，对少数民族本科生的指导，以及墨西哥农村地区的保护、可持续发展和推广工作。