Doctoral Dissertation Research: Genomics of Speciation and Diversification in Primates

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

Questions about how and why new species form are central to evolutionary biology because speciation is the primary process responsible for our planet's amazing variety of plants and animals, including our own species. This project explores the genomic causes and consequences of speciation in the macaque (genus Macaca). During the past 5 million years, this genus of monkeys has diversified rapidly and radiated into at least 22 species occupying a wide range of environments and habitats across northern Africa, Europe, and Asia. Given the wealth of data already available on biological, morphological, and ecological variation among macaques, the genomic data generated by this study will allow detailed analysis of the links among genomic change, biological change, natural selection and speciation in primates. Further, the diversification of Macaca resembles, and was roughly contemporary with, that of the hominins, and therefore serves as a comparative model for human evolution. Findings from this project will also inform primate conservation efforts and medical models of human health and disease, and the investigators are highly invested in student training and public scientific outreach. In this 18-month project, the entire coding region of the genome will be sequenced (exome sequencing) for species across the macaque genus. The data will allow identification of genomic 'islands' that show relatively high divergence among species and determine whether a few large or many small islands drive genomic isolation. Examination of sequence changes and variation in the copy number of protein-coding regions of the genome will address the extent to which natural selection has shaped this radiation. The project will be able to address links between micro- and macroevolutionary processes, place this primate adaptive radiation within a spatial and environmental context, and generate new hypotheses about speciation in other clades such as hominins. The scientific and societal impact of this project is amplified through extensive training and outreach efforts, as well as sharing of data relevant to biomedical research and conservation.