Origins and maintenance of diversity

多样性的起源和维持

• 批准号: 355519-2008
• 负责人: Martin, Paul
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=482726
• 关键词: Origins; maintenance; diversity

Where does biodiversity come from, and why does it vary across the globe? These are important questions to answer before we can accurately predict the future impacts of human activities on the world. The long-term goal of my research program is to better understand (I) how new species form, (II) when and how these new species expand their distributions to coexist with one another, and (III) the causes of broad geographic variation in diversity. (I) To study how new species form, we will examine one of the newest species of bird to evolve - the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla) - and the traits that keep this species distinct from its closest relative, the White-crowned Sparrow (Z. leucophrys). Using experiments in aviaries, we will ask females which species they prefer, and what traits they use to make their decision. We will then use cross-fostering experiments - where one species is raised by the other - to test the hypothesis that choice of mates is based on imprinting on their parents at an early age. (II) Once new species form, they may take a long time before they actually come to coexist with one another. We will examine the progression from species formation to coexistence together in warblers (Parulidae: Dendroica) occurring in eastern Canada. Using genetic data to estimate how long ago species separated, we will examine their spatial distributions, ecology and behavioural interactions and how these change with the amount of time since divergence. (III) The cause of the latitudinal increase in diversity towards the equator is one of the greatest unsolved questions in biology. We are studying how patterns of evolution vary with latitude, specifically examining why we see evidence for faster rates of evolution at higher latitudes, contrary to what we might expect. We will use genetic, biogeographic, museum specimens, and old fashioned field work to test among hypotheses to explain faster evolution in high latitude birds, and further ask how this relates to latitudinal variation in rates of formation of new species. Overall, the proposed work will significantly improve our understanding of biodiversity, and will contribute to other Canadian research at the forefront of this field.

生物多样性从何而来，为什么它在全球范围内有所不同？这些是要回答的重要问题，然后才能准确预测人类活动对世界的未来影响。我的研究计划的长期目标是更好地了解（i）新物种如何形成，（ii）这些新物种何时以及如何将其分布扩展到彼此共存，以及（iii）广泛地理多样性差异的原因。 （i）为了研究新物种如何形成，我们将研究要进化的最新鸟类之一 - 黄金冠的麻雀（Atricapilla Zonotrichia atricapilla），以及使该物种与最接近的亲戚，白冠的麻雀（Z. Leucophrys）不同的特征。使用庇护所实验，我们将询问女性喜欢哪种物种，以及他们用来做出决定的特征。然后，我们将使用交叉寄托实验（在另一个物种中培养了一个物种）来检验以下假设：选择伴侣是基于在幼年时代对父母印记的假设。 （ii）一旦新物种形式，它们可能需要很长时间才真正彼此共处。我们将在加拿大东部发生的莺（Parulidae：Dendroica）中研究从物种形成到共存的进展。使用遗传数据来估计多久以前的物种分离，我们将检查它们的空间分布，生态和行为相互作用，以及这些分布如何随着发散以来的时间而变化。 （iii）导致赤道多样性增加的原因是生物学中最大的未解决问题之一。我们正在研究进化模式如何随纬度而变化，特别是研究了为什么我们看到较高纬度的进化速率的证据，这与我们可能期望的相反。我们将使用遗传，生物地理，博物馆标本和老式的现场工作来测试假设，以解释高纬度鸟类的更快进化，并进一步询问这与新物种形成速率的纬度变化有何关系。总体而言，拟议的工作将显着提高我们对生物多样性的理解，并将为该领域的最前沿的其他加拿大研究做出贡献。