| 英文摘要: | How new species form is a central question of evolutionary biology. Scientists strive to understand how the natural processes that promote genetic and biological variation in diverse, natural habitats lead to new species formation. Local climate and geographic conditions are important components of this question, which often interact with species subsets (i.e., populations), leading them down independent evolutionary paths. Southern Africa has a geologically complex landscape, containing rock outcrops nearly as ancient as the Earth?s formation. Unlike temperate regions of the northern hemisphere, the climate of southern Africa has been predominantly warm and dry over most of its history. The combination of varied terrain and stable climate has produced an abundance of distinct habitats and microhabitats that promote diversity in both plant and animal life. This project focuses on three arid-adapted, rock-dwelling lizard species native to southern Africa, although these patterns will likely be comparable to other ecologically restricted, non-reptilian species. The investigators will explore whether species-specific ecological requirements, prehistoric climate history, and geology produce similar patterns of genetic and biological differentiation among these contemporary, co-distributed, and ecologically restricted lizards species and populations.
We will be able to test the strength of genetic barriers on population connectivity and diversification by making comparisons over the complete geographic distributions of multiple, non-model organisms. The integration of genome-wide data with traditionally-used morphological trait data and prehistoric climate data will allow an integrative and revolutionary approach that has never before been applied to southern Africa's unique wildlife. Broader impacts include educational outreach via mentoring promising undergraduates, some of whom have been from underrepresented groups in STEM disciplines, and participating in local and regional science fair programs. This project includes developing expertise in genomic bioinformatics, which will then be passed on to the international research team in The University of Mississippi Biology Department. Dissemination of results will occur through peer-reviewed publication in open-access journals, presentations at scientific meetings, and all data will be made publicly available. |