Collaborative Research: The Comparative Genetics of Wing Pattern Diversity in Mimetic Butterflies

合作研究：拟态蝴蝶翅膀图案多样性的比较遗传学

• 批准号: 1020355
• 负责人: Marcus Kronforst
• 金额: $ 51.5万
• 依托单位: Harvard University
• 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: 2010-11-15 至 2013-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1020355&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Comparative; Genetics; Wing

Elucidating the genetic basis of adaptations in natural populations is central to understanding the origins of biological diversity. One issue of particular importance is whether changes in the same genes underlie the independent evolution of similar adaptations in different species. Butterflies display a massive array of wing patterns, but much of this diversity appears to be a result of variations on a conserved developmental ground plan. This collaborative project will characterize the genetic basis of color patterning across Heliconius, Limenitis, and Papilio butterflies using a novel strategy that combines traditional experimental crosses with modern advances in genomics. This approach will allow the researchers to identify the specific genes responsible for wing patterning in each species and directly test the hypothesis that a core set of genes controls wing patterning across all butterflies. Wing pattern diversity is widespread across the entire butterfly phylogeny, providing an unparalleled opportunity to explore the genetics and evolution of adaptation, patterning, parallelism, and convergence across a group that has been evolving and radiating for 100 million years. This project will significantly expand the current understanding of how chance and constraint interact to generate biological diversity by examining, in an integrated and comprehensive way, how diverse lineages generate similar morphologies in response to similar selective pressures. This project will also have a variety of important broader impacts related to the training of post-doctoral researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students, as well as scientific outreach aimed at elementary, middle, and high school students.

阐明自然种群适应的遗传基础对于理解生物多样性的起源至关重要。一个特别重要的问题是，相同基因的变化是否是不同物种相似适应的独立演变的基础。蝴蝶显示了各种各样的机翼图案，但这种多样性似乎是保守发展地面计划变化的结果。这个协作项目将使用一种新型策略与传统的实验十字架与基因组学现代进步相结合的新型策略来表征整个Heliconius，Limenisis和Papilio蝴蝶的遗传基础。 这种方法将使研究人员能够识别每个物种中负责机翼模式的特定基因，并直接检验以下假设：核心基因控制所有蝴蝶的机翼图案。 机翼模式的多样性在整个蝴蝶系统发育中广泛，为探索自适应，模式，平行性和收敛的遗传和演变提供了无与伦比的机会，在一组已经发展和辐射已有1亿年的群体中。该项目将大大扩展对机会和约束相互作用如何通过以综合而综合的方式检查生物学多样性的当前理解，以响应类似的选择压力来产生类似的谱系。该项目还将具有与博士后研究人员，研究生和本科生的培训以及针对小学，中学和高中生的科学外展有关的各种重要的广泛影响。