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有机多样性的天然实验室。在高安第斯山脉中，寒冷的温度和独特的栖息地在组织的分布，活动和行为中起着重要作用。有趣的是，这些疾病支持一群被称为陆生繁殖青蛙的两栖动物。这些青蛙的最新工作表明，与较低海拔的物种相比，生活在高海拔高海拔的遥远的物种彼此之间的形状更相似（例如，它们的四肢和较短的鼻子）。此外，与较低海拔的高海拔青蛙相比，高海拔青蛙通常缺乏耳朵。该项目将确定解释这些可预测的身体形式的因素。它还将探讨缺乏耳朵可能如何影响高海拔安第斯山蛙的社会交流。通过大学和自然历史博物馆的合作，项目团队将获得X射线图像，并在保存的标本中测量骨架和其他内部结构。团队将使用遗传数据来确定该物种的进化关系，并确定相似特征之间重复演变的模式。该项目将为本科生提供实用而引人入胜的研究经验。此外，高中生将参加一个讲习班，提供有关大学教育和研究机会的信息。通过这些经验，该项目将促进代表性不足的群体参与科学，技术，工程和数学的目标。结合的进化是在明显相关的物种中出现类似的表型特征的出现。它是许多进化辐射的共同特征。岛上自适应辐射的经典例子（例如，阿诺斯蜥蜴）表明，可预测的表型可以在生物地理空间中发展。这些模式为环境在塑造形态，物理和行为特征中的作用提供了见解。然而，了解复制进化辐射中不同形态特征的发展如何仍然受到挑战，因为特征可以独立变化（例如，青蛙中的头骨形状和肢体长度可能存在不同的形态变化速率）。此外，某些特征的丧失可能导致其他链接或未链接特征的变化。该项目旨在使用有关形态学多样性，系统发育关系以及陆地繁殖青蛙（Strabomantidae）的海拔分布的新数据，以了解高海拔高度时表型收敛和性状损失的模式。研究将重点介绍八个属（Bryophryne，Lynchian，Noblella，Microkayla，Oreobates，Phrynopus，Pristimantis和Psychromrynella），其中包含生活在高海拔安第斯山脉中的物种。使用X射线微型计算层析成像（MicroCT扫描）收集的形态数据将与生态学和系统发育数据结合使用。数据将用于测试类似的高海拔环境是否导致相似的身体形状。此外，这项研究将研究声学交流中关键结构的独立损失是否在高海拔高度时已经丢失或修改。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并使用基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响审查标准，认为值得通过评估值得支持。