NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2010

Mcgreevy Thomas J, Johnston RI

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for FY 2010. The fellowship supports a research and training plan entitled "A Landscape Genomics Approach to Identify the Genetic Mechanism of Adaptation in a Geographically Diverse Lizard" for Thomas McGreevy. The host institution for this research is Boston University, and the sponsoring scientist is Christopher Schneider. The identification of the genetic basis of adaptation is a major objective of evolutionary biology and has broad implications for ecology and conservation biology. Recent advances in the population genomics and landscape genetics disciplines have greatly facilitated the identification of adaptive loci and allowed for the integration of environmental variables using a landscape genomics approach. This research merges spatially referenced genetic, morphological, and environmental data from a model system of Anolis lizards in the Caribbean using a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) framework. Anolis lizards are an ideal group to investigate the genetic mechanism of adaptation because they have diverged into over 400 species and are a classic example of adaptive radiation and speciation. The aims of this project are to: 1) develop spatial analyses of adaptive genetic variation in relation to environmental variables to identify possible drivers of adaptive diversification; and 2) determine if there are sets of environmental variables that can serve as surrogate predictors of adaptive diversity within species in tropical montane regions. The GIS based analytical approach created will serve as a model framework for additional investigations of Anolis and other taxa. Training objectives include acquiring and advancing skills in genomic analyses, bioinformatics techniques, large-scale database management, spatial analyses, and GIS modeling. Broader impacts include development of tools and approaches that will be essential for identifying and conserving evolutionary processes important in producing adaptive genetic variation. Given the impending impact of climate change, mapping and understanding the distribution of adaptive genetic variation is a priority for conservation.