Project Details
Projekt
Phenotypic evolution and speciation in socially parasitic ants
Applicant
Dr. Lukas Schrader
Subject Area
Evolution, Anthropology
Term
from 2016 to 2020
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 324658220
The research proposed here will increase our understanding of how novel species emerge and how they adapt to their environment. I will use genomic techniques to study the evolution of several social parasites and hosts in the leaf-cutting ant genus Acromyrmex, which is exceptionally rich in social parasites. Even though hosts and parasites are normally closely related, they show strong differences in morphology and behaviour, because they are adapted to fundamentally different ecological niches. Genomes of social parasites have not yet been studied in detail and the extent of genomic divergence between ant hosts and associated social parasites is entirely unknown. Thus, this project will substantially advance the current understanding of the evolution of such parasites. The primary objectives of this work are: 1) identifying structural differences in the genomes that initially enabled the separation of hosts and parasite into discrete species, and 2) assessing how genomes of hosts and parasites have changed and continue to change in response to the different life styles. To reach these objectives, I will analyse the genomes of four parasite species and three host species in a comparative framework. Furthermore, I will conduct the worldwide first large-scale population genomic study in ants, for which I will sequence and analyse the complete genomes of 100 host individuals and 100 parasite individuals. The results from this project will help to explain general evolutionary mechanisms of how species arise and how organisms are able to adapt to the challenges of change. Thus, this research will allow significant insight into adaptation, niche differentiation and speciation.
DFG Programme
Research Fellowships
International Connection
Denmark
