THE GENETICS OF MORPHOLOGICAL EVOLUTION IN SILKWORMS (BOMBYCIDAE: BOMBYX)

Abstract

Understanding the evolution and underlying genetic mechanism of morphological

adaptations has been an ongoing aim of evolutionary biology. Morphological evolution

can occur as a species-specific adaptation and function in reproductive isolation. Despite

investigation into the traits themselves, the genetic basis of interspecific morphological

traits is poorly understood outside of domesticated plants and vertebrates. In my

dissertation work, I combine high-throughput genotyping techniques and differential

expression/allele-specific expression analyses to investigate the genetics of

morphological evolution in the sister-species Bombyx mandarina and Bombyx mori. My

work provides new insights on the genetic architecture of two morphological trait

differences between B. mori and B. mandarina, caudal horn length and wing

pigmentation. My work also illustrates the utility of combining high-throughput

genotyping techniques for genetic mapping and gene expression analysis to hone in on a

small number of candidate genes underlying phenotypic trait evolution.