Since Darwin, a major focus of evolutionary biology has been the elucidation of the mechanisms resulting in population divergence, reproductive isolation, and ultimately speciation. This CAREER project involves the development of a research program to better understand plant evolution, the genetic mechanisms underlying plant speciation, and to further the phlox family (Polemoniaceae) as a model system for genetic studies. The proposed research will elucidate the genomic regions shaping flower evolution and pollinator specialization in two subspecies of the wildflower Ipomopsis aggregata by combining genetic mapping and genomic analyses. Together, these studies will provide some of the first data on the genetics of barriers to gene flow and traits from natural plant populations.
A major goal of the proposal is to train student teachers in evolutionary biology and create a support network that disseminates materials, resources, and develops interaction among teachers to improve evolution teaching. The core of the outreach program will be a working group comprised of student teachers, Master's students, working teachers, and the PI. The working group will identify problematic areas for focus in evolution curricula, research the best strategies for teaching each topic, and develop lesson plans. When possible, we will incorporate inquiry-based and active-learning methods integrating evolutionary concepts across a diversity of topics in biology. Ultimately, our efforts will be disseminated as widely as possible through a teacher network, educational conferences, a website, and publications.
Since Darwin, a major focus of evolutionary biology has been to understand the mechanisms resulting in population divergence, reproductive isolation, and ultimately speciation. A major theme of this NSF project was the exploration of genetic mechanisms underlying plant speciation and plant-pollinator coevolution. The research focused on three main approaches including 1) field studies of natural selection on ecologically-important traits, 2) genetic studies of characteristics underlying divergences in related subspecies of Ipomopsis aggregata (Polemoniaceae), and 3) an exploration of population structure and gene flow. These studies documented an important role of hummingbirds and hawkmoths in pollinated-mediated selection on floral characters, including color and nectar rewards, and high levels of gene flow among Ipomopsis aggregata populations. In addition, genetic studies identified a number of genomic regions influencing important floral characters, leading to the identification of candidate genes underlying flower color. These results tell us about the genetic details of ecologically-important traits and their potential impact on speciation and plant-pollinator coevolution. The project also developed several tools for further studies in this plant group including genetic markers, a genetic map, and expressed sequences. An important broader impact of the project was the training of student teachers in evolutionary biology and the creation of a support network among teachers to improve evolution teaching. The project worked closely with the University of Texas at Austin UTeach program to hold seminar courses on concepts and materials for teaching evolution to future high school level teachers. In addition, the project supported a number of graduate students, teacher interns, and educational Masters students in ongoing evolutionary biology research.
