Evolution of character displacement in Darwin's finches

Competitor species can have evolutionary effects on each other that result in ecological character displacement; that is, divergence in resource-exploiting traits such as jaws and beaks. Nevertheless, the process of character displacement occurring in nature, from the initial encounter of competitors to the evolutionary change in one or more of them, has not previously been investigated. Here we report that a Darwin's finch species (Geospiza fortis) on an undisturbed Galápagos island diverged in beak size from a competitor species (G. magnirostris) 22 years after the competitor's arrival, when they jointly and severely depleted the food supply. The observed evolutionary response to natural selection was the strongest recorded in 33 years of study, and close to the value predicted from the high heritability of beak size. These findings support the role of competition in models of community assembly, speciation, and adaptive radiations.     

Bmp4 and morphological variation of beaks in Darwin's finches

Darwin's finches are a classic example of species diversification by natural selection. Their impressive variation in beak morphology is associated with the exploitation of a variety of ecological niches, but its developmental basis is unknown. We performed a comparative analysis of expression patterns of various growth factors in species comprising the genus Geospiza. We found that expression of Bmp4 in the mesenchyme of the upper beaks strongly correlated with deep and broad beak morphology. When misexpressed in chicken embryos, Bmp4 caused morphological transformations paralleling the beak morphology of the large ground finch G. magnirostris.     

Widespread parallel evolution in sticklebacks by repeated fixation of Ectodysplasin alleles

Major phenotypic changes evolve in parallel in nature by molecular mechanisms that are largely unknown. Here, we use positional cloning methods to identify the major chromosome locus controlling armor plate patterning in wild threespine sticklebacks. Mapping, sequencing, and transgenic studies show that the Ectodysplasin (EDA) signaling pathway plays a key role in evolutionary change in natural populations and that parallel evolution of stickleback low-plated phenotypes at most freshwater locations around the world has occurred by repeated selection of Eda alleles derived from an ancestral low-plated haplotype that first appeared more than two million years ago. Members of this clade of low-plated alleles are present at low frequencies in marine fish, which suggests that standing genetic variation can provide a molecular basis for rapid, parallel evolution of dramatic phenotypic change in nature.     

Evolution of male pheromones in moths: reproductive isolation through sexual selection?

Central to our understanding of the species concept is knowledge of the nature and evolution of reproductive isolating mechanisms. The once widely accepted model of Dobzhansky, which holds that isolation evolves through selection against hybrids of differentially adapted populations, is now largely rejected. This rejection is due to both theoretical difficulties and a paucity of examples of the predicted pattern of reproductive character displacement. From a survey of five families of Lepidoptera, entailing more than 800 species, evidence is given that male courtship pheromones have evolved within the context of sexual isolation as an adaptive response to mating mistakes between differentially adapted populations; however, distinct from the natural selection model of Dobzhansky, this report suggests the mechanism for change to be sexual selection.     

Phenotypic plasticity in the interactions and evolution of species

When individuals of two species interact, they can adjust their phenotypes in response to their respective partner, be they antagonists or mutualists. The reciprocal phenotypic change between individuals of interacting species can reflect an evolutionary response to spatial and temporal variation in species interactions and ecologically result in the structuring of food chains. The evolution of adaptive phenotypic plasticity has led to the success of organisms in novel habitats, and potentially contributes to genetic differentiation and speciation. Taken together, phenotypic responses in species interactions represent modifications that can lead to reciprocal change in ecological time, altered community patterns, and expanded evolutionary potential of species.     

Hybridization of bird species

Hybridization, the interbreeding of species, provides favorable conditions for major and rapid evolution to occur. In birds it is widespread. Approximately one in ten species is known to hybridize, and the true global incidence is likely to be much higher. A longitudinal study of Darwin's finch populations on a Galápagos island shows that hybrids exhibit higher fitness than the parental species over several years. Hybrids may be at an occasional disadvantage for ecological rather than genetic reasons in this climatically fluctuating environment. Hybridization presents challenges to the reconstruction of phylogenies, formulation of biological species concepts and definitions, and the practice of biological conservation.     

高油酸、中果型花生新材料的创制与鉴定

【目的】种质资源是作物育种的基础,创制具有多种表型特征的高油酸花生新材料,对高油酸花生育种具有重要意义。【方法】以常规品种白沙1016和高油酸花生品系CTWE为材料,通过对2个亲本ahFAD2A和ahFAD2B ORF的扩增与序列分析,确定其突变类型;利用等位基因特异性PCR（allele-specific PCR,AS-PCR）对两亲本油酸性状基因型进行确认;采用单粒近红外光谱技术（near infrared reflectance spectroscopy,NIRS）结合气相色谱（gas chromatographic,GC）分析对各世代单株的油酸及亚油酸含量进行测定;利用产量性状及油酸含量双重选择压力对F_2:3家系及F₄种子进行筛选,并对筛选得到的新材料进行表型鉴定及AS-PCR鉴定。【结果】ahFAD2A和ahFAD2B ORF区域扩增与序列测定结果表明,CTWE与突变体F435的突变位点完全一致,即ahFAD2A在448 bp处发生G-A碱基替换,同时ahFAD2B 在442 bp处发生碱基A的插入。白沙1016在这2个位点保持野生型状态。借助AS-PCR反应确定两亲本油酸性状基因型,结果表明,CTWE为ol₁ol₁ol₂ol₂,白沙1016为OL₁OL₁OL₂OL₂,两亲本存在2对差异基因。该结果与测序结果相一致。通过设立产量性状和油酸性状双重选择压力对241个F_2:3家系进行选择,单株荚果重高于对照冀花2号30%的家系共20个,对20个高产家系均随机抽取5个单粒进行NIRS检测,淘汰13个低油酸家系。对至少含有1粒高油酸类型的7个家系内的所有单株进行AS-PCR检测,共检测到4种基因型的个体。通过对F_2:3家系和F₄单株的室内外考种及GC值的测定,筛选出具有不同表型特征、产量高出对照冀花2号30%的纯合高油酸材料4个,百仁重介于54.00-75.29 g,均属中果类型,油酸GC值介于81.10%-82.71%,油亚比介于28.66-41.19。11-3和13-2的株型均为匍匐3型,均有轻微果嘴和轻微网纹。11-3为蜂腰形荚果,轻微果腰。13-2为普通形荚果,无果腰。15-2株型为直立型、普通形荚果、无果腰、无果嘴和中等明显程度网纹。16-1株型为匍匐2型、普通形荚果、无果腰、轻微果嘴和轻微网纹。【结论】借助AS-PCR辅助选择的方法创制了具有不同表型特征的中果型高油酸新材料4份。     

油松生长早期选择的研究

对１２～１６年生的油松优树半同胞子代林生长过程中树高年——年秩次相关、表型和遗传相关统计分析结果表明，油松早晚期高生长有一定紧密关系，进行早期预测和选择是可行的。用家系５～８年生和单株３～６年生树高可以预测１２～１６ａ的高生长。从选择效率考虑家系最宜选择年龄在１０～１２ａ，单株最宜选择年龄在１２年生后；最宜选择年龄时的家系早期选择效率是４０～５０ａ时的１．９６～１．９８倍，单株的选择效率低于家系；最宜选择年龄随主伐年龄的增大而增大。不同育苗方式和是否能有效控制试验环境，对早期评价的可靠性和精度有影响     

红椿和毛红椿遗传与生理生态相关研究

红椿和毛红椿都是国家二级保护用材树种。它们在我国零星分布,种群规模小,但发展潜力巨大。该文对红椿和毛红椿的遗传表现性状选优和分子遗传标记,红椿和毛红椿的生理与生态研究方面进展进行了概述,对相关研究利用提出建议和前景展望。     

The cellular and molecular origins of beak morphology

Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying differences in beak morphology likely involve interactions among multiple embryonic populations. We exchanged neural crest cells destined to participate in beak morphogenesis between two anatomically distinct species. Quail neural crest cells produced quail beaks in duck hosts and duck neural crest produced duck bills in quail hosts. These transformations involved morphological changes to non-neural crest host beak tissues. To achieve these changes, donor neural crest cells executed autonomous molecular programs and regulated gene expression in adjacent host tissues. Thus, neural crest cells are a source of molecular information that generates interspecific variation in beak morphology.     

海拔差异对水稻雌配子体基因型选择及其后代表型遗传分化的影响

【目的】分析海拔环境差异对水稻雌配子体基因型选择及其对后代表型遗传分化的影响,为研究植物表型对海拔环境的遗传响应及利用海拔差异进行雌配子体选择育种的方法提供理论参考。【方法】利用2个滇1型细胞质雄性不育系与耐寒粳稻地方老品种杂交,在4个具有明显海拔背景差异的试验点构建并种植了7个水稻F₁雌配子体基因型选择群体及其28个F₂遗传分离群体,通过估算这些世代群体的形态性状差异来检测不同海拔条件对雌配子体基因型频率变化和后代表型遗传分化的影响。【结果】对F₁雌配子体基因型选择群体的形态性状分析发现,在4个不同海拔点都检测到8个性状发生了偏分离,说明海拔背景差异对F₁雌配子体基因型具有选择作用,且在2 200和400 m两种海拔环境的影响都大于海拔1 860和1 250 m;产生于海拔1 860 m群体的形态性状多样性指数最大,据此随产生海拔的升高和降低,其多样性指数均减小;差异性比较显示产生于2 200 m高海拔的群体几乎与其他3个海拔产生的群体在所有性状上的差异都达显著水平。对种植于不同海拔环境的28个F₂遗传分离群体的形态性状分析,结果显示海拔差异导致的雌配子体基因型选择影响其F₂群体的表型遗传分化,且产生海拔差异越大,其后代表型分化就越明显。经2 200和400 m选择过的分离群体,在7个性状上检测出21处差异达显著水平;经1 860和1 250 m 选择过的分离群体,仅在3个性状上检测出6处差异达显著水平。总体变化趋势是,经高海拔2 200 m选择的群体,种植在不同海拔表现结实率高、整体生长势较差,而经低海拔400 m选择的群体的性状表现与高海拔的相反,经中海拔1 860和1 250 m选择过的群体表现多居于高、低海拔之间,但群体形态性状多样性指数较大。【结论】海拔环境差异对水稻F₁雌配子体基因型具有选择作用,进而影响其后代的表型遗传分化,形成对不同海拔环境条件的生态适应性,这意味着利用海拔背景差异进行雌配子体选择育种的方法是可行的。     

Constraint to adaptive evolution in response to global warming

We characterized the genetic architecture of three populations of a native North American prairie plant in field conditions that simulate the warmer and more arid climates predicted by global climate models. Despite genetic variance for traits under selection, among-trait genetic correlations that are antagonistic to the direction of selection limit adaptive evolution within these populations. Predicted rates of evolutionary response are much slower than the predicted rate of climate change.     

Ecological Character Displacement in Darwin's Finches

Character displacement resulting from interspecific competition has been extremely difficult to demonstrate. The problem was addressed with a study of Darwin's ground finches (Geospiza). Beak sizes of populations of G. fortis and G. fuliginosa in sympatry and allopatry were compared by a procedure that controls for any possible effects on morphology of variation among locations in food supply. The results provide strong evidence for character displacement. Measurement of natural selection in a population of G. fortis on an island (Daphne) lacking a resident population of G. fuliginosa shows how exploitation of G. fuliginosa foods affects the differential survival of G. fortis phenotypes.     

基于角质颚的东、黄海头足类科类判别

角质颚具有稳定的结构特征,是头足类分类的良好材料之一。根据在东、黄海采集的分属3个科6个种类样本(中国枪乌贼Loligo chinensis、杜氏枪乌贼Uroteuthis duvauceli、虎斑乌贼Sepia pharaonic、神户乌贼Sepia kobiensis、短蛸Octopus ocellatus和长蛸Octopus variabilis),通过测量其角质颚的形态参数,对不同科类的角质颚进行判别分析,并将原始数据和标准化数据的分析结果进行对比分析。结果发现:中国枪乌贼和虎斑乌贼的角质颚参数原始数据分别大于杜氏枪乌贼和神户乌贼,而标准化后的结果正好相反;短蛸的角质颚参数无论在标准化前后均大于长蛸;在角质颚原始数据中选出10个用于最终的判别分析,上头盖长、下脊突长、下翼长贡献了绝大部分差异。3个科总判别成功率为92.8%;在角质颚标准化数据中选出7个用于最终的判别分析,上头盖长/胴长、下侧壁长/胴长、下翼长/胴长贡献了绝大部分差异,3个科总判别成功率为98.1%。由此可见,对角质颚数据进行标准化处理,能够有效地提升判别正确率。     

Genes lost and genes found: evolution of bacterial pathogenesis and symbiosis

Traditionally, evolutionary biologists have viewed mutations within individual genes as the major source of phenotypic variation leading to adaptation through natural selection, and ultimately generating diversity among species. Although such processes must contribute to the initial development of gene functions and their subsequent fine-tuning, changes in genome repertoire, occurring through gene acquisition and deletion, are the major events underlying the emergence and evolution of bacterial pathogens and symbionts. Furthermore, pathogens and symbionts depend on similar mechanisms for interacting with hosts and show parallel trends in genome evolution.     

Hsp90 potentiates the rapid evolution of new traits: drug resistance in diverse fungi

Hsp90 is a molecular chaperone for many signal transducers and may influence evolution by releasing previously silent genetic variation in response to environmental change. In fungi separated by approximately 800 million years of evolution, Hsp90 potentiated the evolution of drug resistance in a different way, by enabling new mutations to have immediate phenotypic consequences. Resistance was abrogated by Hsp90 inhibitors and by febrile temperatures, suggesting new therapeutic strategies and a clinical benefit of fever. During selection in a human host, drug resistance that was initially Hsp90-dependent evolved toward independence. Thus, Hsp90 can act in diverse ways to couple environmental contingency to the emergence and fixation of new traits.     

连城白鸭肉用新品系的选育研究

以丽佳鸭为父本、连城白鸭为母本,应用杂交、多代横交技术和群体继代选育方法,逐步固定白羽、乌喙和青脚性状,选育出2个连城白鸭肉用新品系(Ⅰ和Ⅱ)。2个新品系分别经过4个世代和3个世代选育,白羽、乌喙和青脚综合性状的比率均从0%分别提高到99.01%和99.35%,平均实现遗传力达到0.808 9和0.951 7。连城白鸭新品系Ⅰ系肉鸭7周龄公母平均体重达1 824.64±170.90g,平均饲料转化率2.93∶1;Ⅱ系肉鸭7周龄公母平均体重2 168.22±219g,平均饲料转化率2.78∶1,比基础群连城白鸭生长速度分别提高了95.0%和131.6%、饲料转化率分别提高了12.3%和16.8%。结果表明选育效果极其显著。     

Molecular shaping of the beak

Beak shape is a classic example of evolutionary diversification. Beak development in chicken and duck was used to examine morphological variations among avian species. There is only one proliferative zone in the frontonasal mass of chickens, but two in ducks. These growth zones are associated with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) activity. By "tinkering" with BMP4 in beak prominences, the shapes of the chicken beak can be modulated.     

Avian persistence in fragmented rainforest

What factors determine the persistence of species in fragmented habitats? To address this question, we studied the relative impacts of forest deterioration and fragmentation on bird species in 12 rainforest fragments in Kenya, combining 6 years of individual capture-recapture data with measurements of current captures and museum specimens. Species mobility, as estimated from species-specific dispersal rates, and tolerance to habitat deterioration, as estimated from change in fluctuating asymmetry with increasing habitat disturbance, explained 88% of the variation in patch occupancy among eight forest bird species. Occupancy increased with mobility and with tolerance to deterioration, where both variables contributed equally to this relationship. We conclude that individual-level study, such as of dispersal behavior and phenotypic development, can predict patterns of persistence at the species level. More generally, for conservation tactics to stand a high chance of success, they should include action both within sites, to minimize habitat deterioration, and across landscapes, to maximize dispersal.