Dissertation Research: Trait evolution and speciation in Encelia

论文研究：Encelia 的性状进化和物种形成

• 批准号: 1011606
• 负责人: Paul V. Fine
• 金额: $ 1.48万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2010-07-01 至 2012-06-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1011606&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Trait; evolution; speciation

This project examines how different species form and why some species are restricted to certain habitats and not others. While it is widely accepted that evolution by natural selection promotes adaptation to different environments over time, how exactly one species splits into two is highly controversial. This process, known as speciation, is the primary way Earth's diversity of life is formed. However, the mechanisms of speciation are in many ways mysterious. These investigations will use experimental hybridization of plants in the family Asteracea, along with detailed physiological measurements and field studies of hybrids and parental species growing in their natural habitats to determine how natural selection creates two species from one.The broader impacts of this project are severalfold. First, the PIs will continue to use research assistants from rural communities near field sites in remote regions of Mexico and the southwest United States. These communities traditionally have been underserved by the scientific infrastructure of both countries and contain high proportions of minorities underrepresented in science. Secondly, this project will contribute to general knowledge of the diversity of life and how it is formed. Concrete examples of questions these studies can assist in answering include: Should different populations be considered endangered species? Are populations within a species evolutionary significant units? What will happen in the future if evolutionary different populations are preserved? While these questions cannot be directly answered by this project, the information gained by these investigations will provide policy makers with the scientific data they need to make intelligent, informed decisions.

该项目研究了不同物种的形成方式以及为什么某些物种仅限于某些栖息地而不是其他栖息地。尽管人们普遍认为自然选择的进化会随着时间的推移促进对不同环境的适应，但一个物种到底如何分裂成两个物种却存在很大争议。这个过程被称为物种形成，是地球生命多样性形成的主要方式。然而，物种形成的机制在很多方面都是神秘的。这些研究将使用菊科植物的实验杂交，以及对自然栖息地中生长的杂种和亲本物种的详细生理测量和实地研究，以确定自然选择如何从一个物种中创造出两个物种。该项目的更广泛影响是多方面的。首先，PI 将继续使用来自墨西哥和美国西南部偏远地区实地考察点附近农村社区的研究助理。这些社区传统上没有得到两国科学基础设施的充分服务，并且包含大量在科学领域代表性不足的少数群体。其次，该项目将有助于增进人们对生命多样性及其形成方式的了解。这些研究可以帮助回答的问题的具体例子包括：不同的种群是否应该被视为濒临灭绝的物种？一个物种内的种群是进化的重要单位吗？如果进化上的不同种群被保留下来，未来会发生什么？虽然该项目无法直接回答这些问题，但这些调查获得的信息将为政策制定者提供做出明智、明智决策所需的科学数据。