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.     

A Cambrian peak in morphological variation within trilobite species

Morphological variation within species is a raw material subject to natural selection. However, temporal change in morphological diversity has usually been studied in terms of variation among rather than within species. The distribution of polymorphic traits in cladistic character-taxon matrices reveals that the frequency and extent of morphological variation in 982 trilobite species are greatest early in the evolution of the group: Stratigraphically old and/or phylogenetically basal taxa are significantly more variable than younger and/or more derived taxa. Through its influence on evolutionary tempo, high intraspecific variation may have played a major role in the pronounced Cambrian diversification of trilobites.     

Generation and maintenance of gradients in taxonomic diversity

Latitudinal gradients in diversity of organisms represent an equilibrium distribution for at least the last 270 x 10(6) years. Faunas endemic to tropical regions evolved significantly faster than extra-tropical faunas. The latitude-dependent difference in rates of evolution also represents an equilibrium condition for at least the last 270 x 10(6) years and has consequences for paleontological correlation of rocks because the attainable resolution depends on rate of evolution and will thus be greater in tropic regions than in extra-tropical ones.     

Rapid evolution of egg size in captive salmon

Captive breeding and release programs, widely used to supplement populations of declining species, minimize juvenile mortality to achieve rapid population growth. However, raising animals in benign environments may promote traits that are adaptive in captivity but maladaptive in nature. In chinook salmon, hatchery rearing relaxes natural selection favoring large eggs, allowing fecundity selection to drive exceptionally rapid evolution of small eggs. Trends toward small eggs are also evident in natural populations heavily supplemented by hatcheries, but not in minimally supplemented populations. Unintentional selection in captivity can lead to rapid changes in critical life-history traits that may reduce the success of supplementation or reintroduction programs.     

Gene regulatory networks and the evolution of animal body plans

Development of the animal body plan is controlled by large gene regulatory networks (GRNs), and hence evolution of body plans must depend upon change in the architecture of developmental GRNs. However, these networks are composed of diverse components that evolve at different rates and in different ways. Because of the hierarchical organization of developmental GRNs, some kinds of change affect terminal properties of the body plan such as occur in speciation, whereas others affect major aspects of body plan morphology. A notable feature of the paleontological record of animal evolution is the establishment by the Early "Cambrian of virtually all phylum-level body plans. We identify a class of GRN component, the kernels" of the network, which, because of their developmental role and their particular internal structure, are most impervious to change. Conservation of phyletic body plans may have been due to the retention since pre-Cambrian time of GRN kernels, which underlie development of major body parts.     

Genetic properties influencing the evolvability of gene expression

Identifying the properties of gene networks that influence their evolution is a fundamental research goal. However, modes of evolution cannot be inferred solely from the distribution of natural variation, because selection interacts with demography and mutation rates to shape polymorphism and divergence. We estimated the effects of naturally occurring mutations on gene expression while minimizing the effect of natural selection. We demonstrate that sensitivity of gene expression to mutations increases with both increasing trans-mutational target size and the presence of a TATA box. Genes with greater sensitivity to mutations are also more sensitive to systematic environmental perturbations and stochastic noise. These results provide a mechanistic basis for gene expression evolvability that can serve as a foundation for realistic models of regulatory evolution.     

黄淮小麦农艺性状演变趋势

【目的】通过对黄淮小麦品种农艺性状演变趋势分析,研究黄淮小麦适应气候变化自然选择和人工高产育种选择的规律。【方法】记载二倍体、四倍体、六倍体小麦进化材料和现代小麦品种不同生育期的农艺性状,收获后测定产量性状。【结果】小麦在进化过程中,分蘖和叶片数有减少的趋势。二倍体→四倍体→六倍体野生种,株高有增加的趋势;从六倍体野生小麦到现代小麦,株高和生物学产量又有明显降低的趋势。单株总叶面积在返青—抽穗期是二倍体＜四倍体＜六倍体＜农家种＜现代品种,在开花期—灌浆期是六倍体＞四倍体＞农家种和现代品种＞二倍体,表现相反趋势。小麦单株生物学产量有降低的趋势,籽粒产量和收获指数有增加的趋势。【结论】野生种具有适应低温和生长缓慢的野生生长方式和遗传特性,现代品种适应气候变暖而提早成熟,减少分蘖,避免旺长遭遇冷害,后期叶片将更多的干物质转运到籽粒。     

Variation in evolutionary patterns across the geographic range of a fossil bivalve

The fossil record is the only direct source of data for studying modes (patterns) and rates of morphological change over long periods of time. Determining modes and rates is important for understanding macroevolutionary processes, but just how modes and rates vary within a taxon, and why, remain largely unaddressed. We examined patterns of morphological change in the shell of the Mesozoic marine bivalve genus Buchia over its geographic and temporal range. Most modes conformed to either random walks or stasis, and both modes and rates showed variability between locations. For example, stasis was more common in deeper marine environments, whereas random walks occurred more often at the highest paleolatitudes studied. These results indicate that the environment can play an important role in shaping patterns of evolution.     

Heritability at the species level: analysis of geographic ranges of cretaceous mollusks

Geographic range has been regarded as a property of species rather than of individuals and thus as a potential factor in macroevolutionary processes. Species durations in Late Cretaceous mollusks exhibit statistically significant positive relationships with geographic range, and the attainment of a typical frequency distribution of geographic ranges in the cohort of species that originated just before the end-Cretaceous extinction indicates that species duration is the dependent variable. The strong relation between geographic ranges in pairs of closely related species indicates that the trait is, in effect, heritable at the species level. The significant heritabilities strengthen claims for processes of evolution by species-level selection, and for differential survivorship of organismic-level traits owing to extinction and origination processes operating at higher levels.     

辐射诱变在玉米轮回选择进程中的作用

本文在同步选育和相对一致的栽培条件下对辐射诱变在玉米群体改良进程中的影响作了初步的研究。结果表明,诱变使群体生育期缩短,但却引起光合面积减少。诱变对产量和单株生产能力以及果穗性状没有产生显著的或规律性的影响。辐射处理提高了群体的变异程度和范围。辐射群体某些性状的选择进展大于未辐射群体。     

Function, developmental genetics, and fitness consequences of a sexually antagonistic trait

Sexual conflict is thought to be a potent force driving the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits. In the water strider Rheumatobates rileyi, we show that elaborated traits on male antennae function to grasp resistant females during premating struggles. Using RNA interference, we uncovered novel roles of the gene distal-less (dll) in generating these male-specific traits. Furthermore, graded reduction of the grasping traits resulted in a graded reduction of mating success in males, thus demonstrating both selection for elaboration of the traits and the role of dll in their evolution. By establishing developmental genetic tools in model systems where sexual selection and conflict are understood, we can begin to reveal how selection can exploit ancient developmental genes to enable the evolution of sexually dimorphic traits.     

油松伊云南松人工杂种与亲本种在高山松生境下的苗期指标对比分析

在油松与云南松人工杂交并获得杂种的基础上,采用多杂交组合杂种、亲本种和高山松种子在高山松最适宜 生境下(西藏林芝)进行了田间对比试验,并通过苗期的适应性指标和生长指标来论证高山松及其亲本种间生态分 化及杂种高海拔特殊生境适应性的来源。结果表明:1)多数适应性指标上,油松伊云南松杂种苗木与高山松表现 相似;2)油松伊云南松不同杂交组合苗木间的适应性指标有一定幅度变异,一些群体有更高的封顶率和保存率;3) 油松苗木的适应性指标最高,云南松最低,高山松适应性指标介于两者间;4)高山松生长指标最高,油松生长指标 最低;5)与亲本不同,高山松与杂种苗木在第2 年均有二次生长现象,且比率相似;6)最好杂交组合苗木生长与高 山松相似,高山松与人工杂种苗木在高海拔生境下表现了突出的适应性与生长综合优势,具有在该生境条件下优 于亲本种的发展潜力。以上结果表明,在特定条件下种间杂种具有一定的生态适应性优势,生态选择在高山松高 海拔特殊生境下进化成种的过程中起到了关键作用。      

桃果实单果重及可溶性固形物含量的全基因组选择分析

【背景】桃单果重和可溶性固形物含量（SSC）是育种家关注的两个重要的数量性状,受到多个微效基因的控制,难以通过单个标记进行早期筛选。全基因组选择作为一种新颖的数量性状早期预测工具,在果树上已经有了初步应用,但其在桃上的应用效果以及影响预测准确性的因素仍需要深入探讨。【目的】建立桃单果重和SSC的全基因组选择技术,为桃高效分子育种技术体系的建立奠定基础。【方法】以520株训练自然群体为试材,通过重测序筛选出的48 398个SNP进行分型,在11个全基因组预测模型中分别筛选出两个数量性状适宜的模型,进而在56株自然群体和1 145株杂交群体上进行应用。【结果】3类群体的平均测序数据量在1.95—3.52 Gb,测序深度为5.29—10.79×。训练自然群体经与参考基因组比对,共得到5 065 726个SNP,去除缺失率较高（>20%）、最小等位基因频率过低（<0.05）的位点后,随机挑选基因组上48 398个SNP用于训练群体的全基因组选择模型构建。单果重预测精度最高的模型是BayesA,SSC预测精度最高的模型为randomforest。分别利用两个数量性状最适的模型进行预测...     

The origins of genome complexity

Complete genomic sequences from diverse phylogenetic lineages reveal notable increases in genome complexity from prokaryotes to multicellular eukaryotes. The changes include gradual increases in gene number, resulting from the retention of duplicate genes, and more abrupt increases in the abundance of spliceosomal introns and mobile genetic elements. We argue that many of these modifications emerged passively in response to the long-term population-size reductions that accompanied increases in organism size. According to this model, much of the restructuring of eukaryotic genomes was initiated by nonadaptive processes, and this in turn provided novel substrates for the secondary evolution of phenotypic complexity by natural selection. The enormous long-term effective population sizes of prokaryotes may impose a substantial barrier to the evolution of complex genomes and morphologies.     

A genome scan of recent positive selection signatures in three sheep populations

Domesticated sheep have been exposed to artificial selection for the production of fiber, meat, and milk as well as to natural selection. Such selections are likely to have imposed distinctive selection signatures on the sheep genome. Therefore, detecting selection signatures across the genome may help elucidate mechanisms of selection and pinpoint candidate genes of interest for further investigation. Here, detection of selection signatures was conducted in three sheep breeds, Sunite(n=66), German Mutton(n=159), and Dorper(n=93), using the Illumina Ovine SNP50 Genotyping Bead Chip array. Each animal provided genotype information for 43 273 autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs). We adopted two complementary haplotype-based statistics of relative extended haplotype homozygosity(REHH) and the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity(XP-EHH) tests. In total, 707, 755, and 438 genomic regions subjected to positive selection were identified in Sunite, German Mutton, and Dorper sheep, respectively, and 42 of these regions were detected using both REHH and XP-EHH analyses. These genomic regions harbored many important genes, which were enriched in gene ontology terms involved in muscle development, growth, and fat metabolism. Fourteen of these genomic regions overlapped with those identified in our previous genome-wide association studies, further indicating that these genes under positive selection may underlie growth developmental traits. These findings contribute to the identification of candidate genes of interest and aid in understanding the evolutionary and biological mechanisms for controlling complex traits in Chinese and western sheep.     

Comment on "Gene regulatory networks and the evolution of animal body plans"

Davidson and Erwin (Reviews, 10 February 2006, p. 796) argued that known microevolutionary processes cannot explain the evolution of large differences in development that characterize phyla. Instead, they proposed that phyla arise from novel evolutionary processes involving large mutations acting on conserved core pathways of development. I question some of their assumptions and show that natural selection adequately explains the origin of new phyla.     

黄淮小麦农艺性状进化及对产量性状调控机理的分析

【目的】气候变化对小麦生产的影响已经受到广泛关注。在气候变化背景下,小麦育种必须重新定位。文章对黄淮地区小麦进化材料的农艺性状进化以及对单株产量性状调控机理进行分析,为未来小麦适应气候变化和高产育种目标提供理论依据。【方法】对30个不同染色体倍数的小麦进化材料的12个农艺性状进行进化趋势分析。并对小麦进化材料的农艺性状进行相关分析、通径分析、逐步回归分析、主成分分析和聚类分析,探讨小麦进化育种中各农艺性状对单株产量的调控规律。【结果】通过对农艺性状的进化趋势分析和多重统计分析获得如下结果：①黄淮小麦进化过程中其抽穗期、生育期、株高、单株穗数等有减少的趋势,但生殖生长期占全生育期比例、收获指数、千粒重和单株粒重等有不同程度的增加趋势。②相关分析表明,单株粒重与穗粒数、千粒重、收获指数和单株生物学产量均呈极显著正相关,与生殖生长期占全生育期比例呈显著正相关,与抽穗期、生育期和单株穗数均呈极显著负相关。③多元逐步回归分析结果表明,收获指数、单株生物学产量和生育期是决定单株粒重的3个主要因子,共同决定了单株粒重96%的变异。其中,收获指数、单株生物学产量对小麦单株粒重有大的正效应调控作用,生育期对小麦单株粒重有较大的负效应调控作用。④通径分析表明,11个农艺性状对单株粒重直接贡献大小依次为收获指数＞单株生物学产量＞穗粒数＞穗长＞单株穗数＞每穗小穗数＞生殖生长期占全生育期比例＞抽穗期＞株高＞千粒重＞生育期。其中,收获指数、单株生物学产量、千粒重和穗粒数对单株粒重有较大的正效应。⑤主成分分析结果显示,3个主成分累积贡献率达81.873%,表明3个主成分已覆盖所有性状的主要信息。⑥根据综合值的聚类分析和对不同年代的种质资源农艺性状的特征比较,将30个小麦进化材料分为了早熟矮秆低产型、晚熟高秆低产型、晚熟高秆中产型、早熟高秆中产型和早熟矮秆高产型五大类小麦资源。【结论】通过对30个小麦进化材料农艺性状的多重统计分析,得出每个小麦进化材料的相关信息。小麦由二倍体到六倍体进化过程中,收获指数、单株生物学产量和穗粒数对小麦单株粒重有明显正效应,而生育期对其有显著负效应。这是在气候变暖背景下,人工选育高产品种和自然选择共同作用的结果。     

Rates of molecular evolution are linked to life history in flowering plants

Variable rates of molecular evolution have been documented across the tree of life, but the cause of this observed variation within and among clades remains uncertain. In plants, it has been suggested that life history traits are correlated with the rate of molecular evolution, but previous studies have yielded conflicting results. Exceptionally large phylogenies of five major angiosperm clades demonstrate that rates of molecular evolution are consistently low in trees and shrubs, with relatively long generation times, as compared with related herbaceous plants, which generally have shorter generation times. Herbs show much higher rates of molecular change but also much higher variance in rates. Correlates of life history attributes have long been of interest to biologists, and our results demonstrate how changes in the rate of molecular evolution that are linked to life history traits can affect measurements of the tempo of evolution as well as our ability to identify and conserve biodiversity.     

Sustaining fisheries yields over evolutionary time scales

Fishery management plans ignore the potential for evolutionary change in harvestable biomass. We subjected populations of an exploited fish (Menidia menidia) to large, small, or random size-selective harvest of adults over four generations. Harvested biomass evolved rapidly in directions counter to the size-dependent force of fishing mortality. Large-harvested populations initially produced the highest catch but quickly evolved a lower yield than controls. Small-harvested populations did the reverse. These shifts were caused by selection of genotypes with slower or faster rates of growth. Management tools that preserve natural genetic variation are necessary for long-term sustainable yield.