Evolutionary and ecological genetics of fitness-related variation in wild animals

野生动物适应性相关变异的进化和生态遗传学

• 批准号: RGPIN-2019-04388
• 负责人: Poissant, Jocelyn
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=737598
• 关键词: Evolutionary; ecological; genetics; fitness; related

Wildlife populations are increasingly challenged by new and strong selective pressures resulting from rapid and intense anthropogenic environmental change, including the spread of infectious diseases, introduction of exotic and invasive species, and global warming. Simultaneously, human activity is rapidly removing or fragmenting habitat, leading to population declines and restricting genetic exchange among populations. Together, these factors can limit the ability of populations to adapt, decrease individual fitness, and ultimately compromise the persistence of populations and species. Understanding the ecological and evolutionary processes modulating variation in fitness and adaptive evolution in natural populations is therefore critical for maintaining biodiversity. Here, I suggest using a long-term, individual-based study of feral horses at Sable Island National Park Reserve, Nova Scotia, as a model to test a variety of emerging hypotheses related to the genetic basis and evolutionary dynamics of fitness-related traits in wild animals. The Sable Island horse project, modelled on other highly successful individual-based studies such as those at Ram Mountain in Alberta (bighorn sheep) and St-Kilda in Scotland (Soay sheep), is remarkable in a number of ways. In particular, the system allows for the study of a large and diverse array of phenotypic traits putatively linked to fitness; the isolated but large population (current population size ~500) provides statistical power needed to rapidly test new ideas; and readily available equine genomic tools makes for an outstanding platform to conduct genomic-based research under natural conditions. With almost 1,150 known individuals measured at a variety of fitness-related traits each summer since 2008, the study is already one of the world's largest of its kind for a large vertebrate. My proposed research is divided into four short-term objectives contributing to my principal career goal of improving our understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes modulating variation in fitness and adaptive evolution in wildlife populations. Using an integrative, multi-disciplinary approach combining field biology, molecular ecology, parasitology, quantitative genetics, and genomics, I will: I) Conduct a large-scale investigation of the causes and consequences of variation in gut bacterial microbiome structure and function; II) Study the ecology and evolution of complex mixed parasitic infections; III) Characterize the genomic architecture of fitness-related traits and adaptive evolution; and IV) Quantify inbreeding depression and understand the factors modulating its intensity and genetic architecture. The proposed research will contribute to developing an internationally recognized research program in evolutionary and ecological genetics of wild animals, and provide tools and knowledge needed for conserving and managing wildlife and endangered species in Canada and internationally.

野生动植物的种群越来越受到新的和强大的选择性压力的挑战，这些压力是由快速，强烈的人为环境变化所带来的，包括传染病的传播，引入异国情调和入侵物种以及全球变暖。同时，人类活动正在迅速消除或破碎的栖息地，导致人口下降并限制了人口之间的遗传交换。这些因素共同限制了人口适应，降低个人健身的能力，并最终损害了人口和物种的持久性。因此，了解自然种群适应性和适应性变化的生态和进化过程对于维持生物多样性至关重要。在这里，我建议在新斯科舍省黑貂国家公园保护区进行长期基于个人的野马研究，以测试与野生动物中与健身相关性状的遗传基础和进化动态有关的各种新兴假设。 Sable Island Horse Project以其他非常成功的基于个人的研究为基础，例如在艾伯塔省的Ram Mountain（大角羊）和苏​​格兰的St-Kilda（Soay Sheep）的研究，在许多方面都非常出色。特别是，该系统允许研究与健身相关的各种表型特征。孤立但人口庞大（当前人口规模〜500）提供了快速测试新想法所需的统计能力；随时可用的马基因组工具为在自然条件下进行基于基因组的研究提供了一个出色的平台。自2008年以来，每年夏天，每年夏天都有近1,150个知名人士以各种适应性相关的特征进行测量，这项研究已经是世界上最大的脊椎动物之一。我提出的研究分为四个短期目标，促进了我的主要职业目标，即提高我们对生态和进化过程的理解，以调节野生动植物种群适应性和适应性进化的变化。我将使用综合性的多学科方法，结合了田间生物学，分子生态学，寄生虫学，定量遗传学和基因组学，我将：i）对肠道细菌微生物组结构和功能变异的原因和后果进行大规模研究； ii）研究复杂混合寄生虫感染的生态和演变； iii）表征与健身相关性状和适应性进化的基因组结构； iv）量化近亲抑郁症并了解调节其强度和遗传结构的因素。拟议的研究将有助于制定野生动物进化和生态遗传学方面的国际认可的研究计划，并提供在加拿大和国际上保护和管理野生动植物和濒危物种所需的工具和知识。