The molecular basis of parallel evolution in stickleback foraging morphology.
Research Project
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01.11.2009
- 31.10.2012
Organisms occurring in ecologically distinct environments often show predictable differences in traits that influence performance in the respective environments. However, a few exceptions aside, we generally do not know how and which genes and developmental pathways are involved in the formation of ecologically relevant phenotypic diversity. This situation is changing with the advent of genomic and developmental research tools, making possible integrative investigation that links variation at the molecular level to fitness-relevant phenotypic variation. The aim of my project is to carry out such an integrative study in Swiss populations of threespine stickleback fish (Gasterosteus aculeatus). I focus on populations that have evolved differences in foraging traits (gill raker apparatus, body shape) in response to contrasting foraging conditions between limnetic (zooplankton-dominated) and benthic (macroinvertebrate-dominated) habitats. These populations will be subject to several complementary molecular genetic experiments, including quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, candidate and comparative gene expression analysis, and selective sweep analysis. These molecular experiments will uncover the genetic architecture of phenotypic variation among natural populations, identify key genes and developmental pathways in morphogenesis, and inform on the role natural selection in driving genetic shifts. My project will therefore shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying evolution, and thereby contribute to our understanding of adaptation and biological diversification.
