Investigating evolution in real time using genomics.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Exeter
Department Name: Biosciences
Abstract
Project Background
How populations adapt to new and changing environments is becoming more and more important for understanding our rapidly changing world. While, we know that these rapid changes are often heritable we don't know much about the genetics underlying these changes. We are now at stage where whole genomes can be examined for many organisms, and therefore we can target rapidly evolving populations to examine the genetic basis of rapid adaptation. This proposal will take advantage of a unique evolution experiment in the wild. Here, guppies (small tropical fish) were transplanted from a high predation locality upstream above waterfall barriers where they are free from predation in four independent streams. Phenotypic data shows that the populations quickly adapted to their new environments by becoming larger and more colourful; traits that evolve in naturally colonized low predation localities. We have shown that after just 5 years, these populations are diverging from their source at isolated parts of the genome, indicating adaptive genetic changes.
Project Aims and Methods
The proposal aims to study evolution in action by taking advantage of a unique experimental fish system. The successful student will investigate how newly introduced populations adapted to their new environments by looking at whole genome sequences (WGS) from across multiple time points. This project will use WGS of the four newly introduced populations at different sampling time points (5 years, and 10 years after introduction), their source population, and naturally colonized low predation populations. Our lab has extensive expertise in working with whole genome datasets including developing genome assembly resources. The project will answer three major questions:
1) How are genomes evolving over time?
2) Do independent population evolve convergently?
3) How does evolution interact with the changing ecology (i.e. population growth)?
Background reading and references
Fraser et al. 2015 Population genomics of natural and experimental populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Molecular Ecology 24:389-408.
Fraser and Whiting 2019. What can be learned by scanning the genome for molecular convergence in wild populations? Annals of the NY Academy of Science In press doi:10.1111/nyas.14177
Reznick et al. 2019. Eco-evolutionary feedbacks predict the time course of rapid life history evolution. American Naturalist In Press doi:10.1086/705380.
How populations adapt to new and changing environments is becoming more and more important for understanding our rapidly changing world. While, we know that these rapid changes are often heritable we don't know much about the genetics underlying these changes. We are now at stage where whole genomes can be examined for many organisms, and therefore we can target rapidly evolving populations to examine the genetic basis of rapid adaptation. This proposal will take advantage of a unique evolution experiment in the wild. Here, guppies (small tropical fish) were transplanted from a high predation locality upstream above waterfall barriers where they are free from predation in four independent streams. Phenotypic data shows that the populations quickly adapted to their new environments by becoming larger and more colourful; traits that evolve in naturally colonized low predation localities. We have shown that after just 5 years, these populations are diverging from their source at isolated parts of the genome, indicating adaptive genetic changes.
Project Aims and Methods
The proposal aims to study evolution in action by taking advantage of a unique experimental fish system. The successful student will investigate how newly introduced populations adapted to their new environments by looking at whole genome sequences (WGS) from across multiple time points. This project will use WGS of the four newly introduced populations at different sampling time points (5 years, and 10 years after introduction), their source population, and naturally colonized low predation populations. Our lab has extensive expertise in working with whole genome datasets including developing genome assembly resources. The project will answer three major questions:
1) How are genomes evolving over time?
2) Do independent population evolve convergently?
3) How does evolution interact with the changing ecology (i.e. population growth)?
Background reading and references
Fraser et al. 2015 Population genomics of natural and experimental populations of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Molecular Ecology 24:389-408.
Fraser and Whiting 2019. What can be learned by scanning the genome for molecular convergence in wild populations? Annals of the NY Academy of Science In press doi:10.1111/nyas.14177
Reznick et al. 2019. Eco-evolutionary feedbacks predict the time course of rapid life history evolution. American Naturalist In Press doi:10.1086/705380.
Organisations
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NE/S007504/1 | 01/10/2019 | 30/11/2027 | |||
| 2580248 | Studentship | NE/S007504/1 | 01/10/2021 | 15/07/2025 | Alistair Hudson |