BRC-BIO: Phenotypic convergence and trait loss in high-elevation Andean frogs

BRC-BIO：高海拔安第斯青蛙的表型趋同和性状丧失

• 批准号: 2218191
• 负责人: Rudolf von-May
• 金额: $ 47.19万
• 依托单位: California State University Channel Islands
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-09-01 至 2025-08-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2218191&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: BRC; BIO; Phenotypic; convergence; trait

Tropical mountains are natural laboratories to study how the environment generates and shapes organismal diversity. In the high Andes, cold temperatures and unique habitats play an important role in the distribution, activity, and behavior of organisms. Interestingly, these conditions support a diverse group of amphibians known as terrestrial-breeding frogs. Recent work on these frogs has revealed that distantly-related species living at high elevations exhibit more similar body shape to one another (e.g., they have shorter limbs and shorter snout) than species at lower elevations. Additionally, high-elevation frogs often lack ears compared to those found at lower elevations. This project will identify factors that explain these predictable body forms. It will also explore how lacking ears may affect the social communication of high-elevation Andean frogs. Through collaborations across universities and natural history museums, the project team will obtain X-ray images and measure the skeleton and other internal structures in preserved specimens. The team will use genetic data to determine the species’ evolutionary relationships and identify patterns of repeated evolution among similar features. This project will provide practical and engaging research experiences for undergraduate students. Additionally, high school students will participate in a workshop providing information about education and research opportunities at the university. Through these experiences, the project will advance the goal of increasing participation of underrepresented groups in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.Convergent evolution is the emergence of similar phenotypic traits in distantly-related species. It is a common feature of many evolutionary radiations. Classic examples of adaptive radiations on islands (e.g., Anolis lizards) reveal that predictable phenotypes can evolve across biogeographic space. These patterns provide insights into the role of the environment in shaping morphological, physiological, and behavioral traits. However, understanding how different morphological traits evolve in replicate evolutionary radiations remains challenging because traits can vary independently (e.g., skull shape and limb length in frogs can exhibit different rates of morphological change). Additionally, the loss of some traits can lead to changes in other linked or unlinked traits. This project aims to use new data on morphological diversity, phylogenetic relationships, and elevational distribution of terrestrial breeding frogs (Strabomantidae) to understand patterns of phenotypic convergence and trait loss at high elevations. Research will focus on eight genera (Bryophryne, Lynchius, Noblella, Microkayla, Oreobates, Phrynopus, Pristimantis, and Psychrophrynella), containing species living in high-elevation Andean habitats. Morphological data collected using X-ray micro-computed tomography (microCT scanning) will be combined with ecological and phylogenetic data. The data will be used to test if similar high-elevation environments lead to similar body shapes. Additionally, this research will examine whether independent losses of key structures in acoustic communication have been lost or modified at high elevation.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

热带山脉是研究环境如何产生和塑造生物多样性的天然实验室。在安第斯山脉高地，寒冷的气温和独特的栖息地对陆地繁殖青蛙的分布、活动和行为发挥着重要作用。对这些青蛙的研究表明，生活在高海拔地区的远亲物种表现出彼此更相似的体型（例如，它们的四肢较短，体型也较短）。此外，与低海拔地区的物种相比，高海拔地区的青蛙通常没有耳朵。该项目还将找出解释这些可预测身体形态的因素。通过与大学和自然历史博物馆之间的合作，项目团队将获得 X 射线图像并测量保存标本中的骨骼和其他内部结构，该团队将利用遗传数据来确定物种的进化关系。识别相似的重复进化模式该项目将为本科生提供实用且引人入胜的研究经验，此外，高中生将参加一个提供有关大学教育和研究机会的信息的研讨会，通过这些经验，该项目将推进提高参与度的目标。在科学、技术、工程和数学领域代表性不足的群体。趋同进化是远缘物种中相似表型特征的出现，这是许多岛屿上适应性辐射的典型例子（例如安乐蜥）。蜥蜴）揭示了可预测的表型可以在生物地理空间中进化，这些模式提供了对环境在塑造形态、生理和行为特征中的作用的见解。然而，了解不同的形态特征如何在复制进化辐射中进化仍然具有挑战性，因为特征可能会有所不同。 （例如，青蛙的头骨形状和肢体长度可以表现出不同的形态变化率）。此外，某些性状的丧失可能导致其他相关或不相关的性状发生变化。该项目旨在使用有关形态学的新数据。研究陆生蛙类（Strabomantidae）的多样性、系统发育关系和海拔分布，以了解高海拔地区的表型趋同和性状丧失模式。研究将集中于八个属（Bryophryne、Lynchius、Noblella、Microkayla、Oreobates、Phrynopus、Pristimantis 和）。 Psychrophrynella），包含生活在高海拔安第斯栖息地的物种形态数据。使用X射线微计算机断层扫描（microCT扫描）收集的数据将与生态和系统发育数据相结合，该数据将用于测试相似的高海拔环境是否会导致相似的身体形状。声学通信的关键结构在高海拔地区已丢失或被修改。该奖项反映了 NSF 的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。