Adaptive evolution in egg traits associated with brood parasitism: ecological genomics of bitterling fishes

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440206
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Mie University
• Principal Investigator: Kitamura Jyun-ichi 三重大学, 生物資源学研究科, リサーチフェロー (00432360)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOKITA Tomoyuki 福井県立大学, 海洋生物資源学部, 准教授 (60372835)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 繁殖寄生 / 適応進化 / QTL解析 / 繁殖戦略 / 繁殖形質 / 魚類

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Brood parasitism is one of ingenious reproductive strategies and seen in a variety of animals. In these animals, adaptive evolution in various traits including egg traits occurs in relation to brood parasitism. This study focused adaptive diversification in egg shape of bitterling fishes (Acheilognathinae) that utilize several freshwater mussels as reproductive hosts, and examined evolutionary genetic basis of diversification in egg shape associated with this brood parasitism. A quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping approach using in this study elucidated the causal loci of variation in egg shape and size within a single bitterling species (Acheilognathus tabira) that shows extreme population (i.e., subspecies) divergence in egg traits in relation to host species.

Free Research Field

進化生態学