ADAPTIVE SPECIATION · Evolution of reproductive barriers and its implications for adaptive speciation
FP7 — People (Marie Curie Actions)
- Duration
- 2008-09-01 → 2010-08-31
- EU contribution
- €168,824
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MC-IEF
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Results in brief
Evolution of reproductive barriers and its implications for adaptive speciation
Non-allopatric speciation is defined as speciation without physical separation of lineages, implying that individuals of one population are within the 'normal cruising range' of individuals of the other population. Non-allopatric speciation was considered rare in nature, because models suggested that it was possible only under restrictive conditions and there were few well-supported examples. However, recent theoretical and empirical work has altered this view and it now seems that this mode of speciation may provide an important contribution to biological diversity. My aim was to contribute to this field using the marine gastropod littorina saxatilis as a model. The project objectives were to test the contributions of genetic differentiation and phenotypic plasticity to both adaptation and reproductive isolation between the E and S morphs of l. saxatilis using three approaches: 1. analyse transects on two separate small islands, using numerous amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers and morphometric analysis in order to obtain estimates of gene flow and selection, 2. determine the contribution of plasticity to local adaptation and assortative mating using snails reared under experimental conditions, and 3. test for the possibility of enhanced assortative mating, i.e. reinforcement, in the centre of the hybrid zone between morphs.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
Perhaps the most basic question about the process of speciation is whether or not it is an adaptive progress. Recent studies suggest that natural selection and adaptation may play a more significant role in the early stages of divergence and the evolution of reproductive isolation than previously thought. This ‘adaptive speciation’ may be particularly common where there is partial spatial separation between habitats, such as on the steep environmental gradients that characterize sea-shore habitats. Species living in these habitats are, therefore, excellent models for the study of adaptation and its contribution to speciation. Novel approaches based on genomic tools now make the genetic basis of adaptation and speciation more accessible than ever before. The overall goal of the proposed application is to increase our understanding of adaptive speciation. My model system will be the rocky shore gastropod Littorina saxatilis. This powerful model shows independent but similar responses to habitat gradients in different parts of Europe, with evidence of progression towards speciation. I will combine studies of morphological variation, using the latest methods of geometric analysis, with the population genomics approach, using AFLP markers, to dissect the genetic basis of adaptation and the role of morphological adaptation in the overall divergence between snail morphotypes. Furthermore, I will examine plastic responses to the environmental gradient and determine their contribution to adaptation. This project will provide me with a much enhanced suite of skills, including new laboratory and analytical skills in molecular ecology and population ge
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD · SHEFFIELDCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union