How Does Gene Flow Affect Local Adaptation and Population Dynamics?: Experimental Tests in Wild Populations and Mesocosms

基因流如何影响局部适应和种群动态？：野生种群和中生态系统的实验测试

• 批准号: 1146489
• 负责人: Chris Funk
• 金额: $ 39.88万
• 依托单位: Colorado State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-06-01 至 2016-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1146489&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: How; Does; Gene; Flow; Affect

This project tests the effects of gene flow, the movement of genes from one population to another by immigrants, on local adaptation and population dynamics in Trinidadian guppies. On the one hand, gene flow may break down local adaptation and reduce fitness by introducing maladapted genes. On the other hand, gene flow may increase fitness by adding genetic variation to small, inbred populations. Moreover, gene flow may have important effects on population growth and dynamics. The researchers will test the effects of gene flow using experiments in wild populations and in controlled mesocosms (experimental pools). First, they will determine how immigration of fish adapted to a different environment affects traits and fitness in wild populations. Next, they will test how these changes in traits and fitness affect population dynamics. Lastly, they will experimentally test how the effects of gene flow vary with the degree of adaptive differentiation between populations and the level of inbreeding.This study takes advantage of a rare opportunity to examine populations before and after the onset of gene flow in the wild and in mesocosms. Results of this project will inform conservation programs since a commonly used, but rarely tested, conservation strategy is to artificially increase gene flow. Alongside the research, the investigators will expand their innovative "guppy kit" program to expose elementary and middle school students to experimental evolutionary biology using guppies in the classroom in both the US and in Trinidad. The research will also provide training in field, experimental, and molecular research for underrepresented minorities and Trinidadian undergraduate students. Co-funding for the international component of the research has been provided by OISE.

该项目测试了基因流的影响，基因从一个人群到另一个人群的移动，对特立尼达雀孔的局部适应和种群动态的运动。一方面，基因流可以通过引入不良的基因来分解局部适应性并降低适应性。另一方面，基因流量可能通过增加近代人种群的遗传变异来增加适应度。此外，基因流可能会对人口增长和动态产生重要影响。研究人员将使用野生群体和受控中心（实验池）中的实验测试基因流的影响。首先，他们将决定如何适应不同环境的鱼的移民影响野生种群的特征和健身。接下来，他们将测试这些特征和健身的变化如何影响人口动态。最后，他们将通过实验测试基因流的影响如何随种群和近交水平之间的适应性分化程度而变化。这项研究利用了一个难得的机会检查野生和野生基因流之前和之后的种群在中间。该项目的结果将为保护计划提供信息，因为经常使用但很少测试的保护策略是人为地增加基因流量。除研究外，调查人员还将扩大其创新的“孔雀套件”计划，以使小学和中学生在美国和特立尼达的教室中使用孔雀厂暴露于实验性进化生物学。这项研究还将为代表性不足的少数民族和特立尼达本科生提供领域，实验性和分子研究培训。 OISE提供了为该研究的国际组成部分的共同资助。