| 项目编号: | 1556568
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| 项目名称: | SG: The role of species interactions and coevolution in speciation |
| 作者: | David Althoff
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| 承担单位: | Syracuse University
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| 批准年: | 2016
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| 开始日期: | 2016-04-01
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| 结束日期: | 2019-03-31
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| 资助金额: | 156028
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| 资助来源: | US-NSF
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| 项目类别: | Standard Grant
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| 国家: | US
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| 语种: | 英语
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| 特色学科分类: | Biological Sciences - Environmental Biology
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| 英文关键词: | plant
; insect
; interaction
; relative role
; species
; coevolution
; species diversification
; new species
; non-natal yucca species
; antagonistic trait
; only generalist moth pollinator species
; antagonistic interaction
; many yucca species
; reproductive isolation
; plant-insect interaction
; species interaction
; type
; species benefit
; antagonistic coevolution
; obligate specialized interaction
|
| 英文摘要: | Plants and insects are groups with large numbers of species that have big impacts on both natural and agricultural systems. One reason these groups are thought to be so diverse is because of their interactions with one another. Evolutionary change in plants can impact evolutionary change in insects, and this is likely one mechanism by which new species are formed, a central question in evolutionary biology research. These reciprocal evolutionary responses might be caused by two different types of interactions between plants and insects. One type of interaction, termed mutualism, is mutually beneficial to both species. For example, insect pollinators move pollen among plants as they gather food, and both the plants and insects benefit from this type of interaction. A second type of interaction is antagonism, where one species benefits at the cost of the other. Insects use of plants as food is an example of antagonism that has led to the evolution of toxic plant chemicals, many of which are used in medical applications. One major unanswered question is whether the diversity of plants and insects observed in nature is mainly the result of mutualistic or antagonistic interactions. Understanding the relative roles of each is critical for predicting how plant and insects will respond to each other through time and will help guide strategies for increasing pollination services provided by insects and reducing the impact of insect pests. In addition, the research will be used in creating a workshop for middle school students through hands-on experiments examining the importance of plant-insect interactions in natural and agricultural settings.
The research will use a textbook example of coevolution and adaptive radiation to test the relative roles of mutualistic and antagonistic coevolution in generating reproductive isolation and speciation. The obligate specialized interaction between yuccas and their yucca moth pollinators has both mutualistic and antagonistic components. Female moths use specialized tentacular mouthparts to collect pollen and actively pollinate yuccas, and then deposit eggs near developing yucca seeds that their larvae eat. The evolution of tentacles has been suggested to be a key innovation in the mutualism and diversification of pollinator moths. Although previous research has highlighted trait divergence in antagonistic traits, there has been no comparative survey of trait divergence in the key mutualistic trait, moth tentacles, or of pollination behavior. Comparative analyses of mutualistic and antagonistic traits will be combined with tests of performance of pollinators on natal vs. non-natal yucca species. Specifically, we will compare the ability of moths to be effective pollinators and herbivores across many yucca species. These analyses will be combined with the examination of mating abilities among host forms of the only generalist moth pollinator species to test if changes in mutualistic or antagonistic traits are instrumental in promoting the formation of reproductive isolation. The project will be the first direct test of how coevolution and the type of species interaction among interacting lineages translates into reproductive isolation and species diversification linking microevolutionary processes with macroevolutionary patterns. |
| 资源类型: | 项目
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| 标识符: | http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/92653
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| Appears in Collections: | 全球变化的国际研究计划
科学计划与规划
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| Recommended Citation: | |
David Althoff. SG: The role of species interactions and coevolution in speciation. 2016-01-01.
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