Postdoctoral Fellowship: PRFB: The evolutionary consequences of sensory novelty: Genomic and phenotypic responses to the origin of heat sensing in vipers

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2024, Integrative Research Investigating the Rules of Life Governing Interactions Between Genomes, Environment, and Phenotypes. The fellowship supports the research and training of the fellow who will contribute to the area of Rules of Life in innovative ways. Understanding the origin and evolution of novel traits is a major challenge in biology.

A powerful way to test the mechanisms that generate new biological functions is to combine information about the genetic source code underlying traits with information about the form and function of traits across species. The goal of this project is to combine whole-genome analyses with anatomical data from high-resolution CT scans to test hypotheses about the evolution of predation in the group of venomous snakes called vipers, which include rattlesnakes and cottonmouths.

These snakes have evolved an impressive arsenal of novel traits for hunting their prey, and this project will quantify how traits like venom and vision change through time in coordination with one another across molecular and anatomical landscapes. Additionally, this work will provide student training and public engagement opportunities across a variety of educational settings, including public-facing natural history museums.

Overall, this work will position one of the most universally feared groups of organisms as a powerful model for understanding correlated trait evolution.

This research investigates organismal biology across multiple scales of life, examining trait evolution using DNA sequences to model gene/protein evolution, employing soft-tissue CT scanning to capture physiological investment at the micron scale, and evaluating trait integration across lineages at macroevolutionary scales in response to changing prey and habitat preferences. The 3D reconstructions provided by the CT scans also allow for modeling real-world sensory capabilities, including visual fields and depth perception, both from the eyes and from the bi-directional thermal-sensing pit organs found exclusively in pitvipers.

This research will compare the head anatomy between pitvipers and non-pitted vipers to investigate how the evolutionary emergence of a brand-new sensory mode is manifested across other predatory phenotypes and how this change is reflected in their ecology and evolution. This project also offers several benefits to society, including open-source software for high-throughput tissue segmentation of CT scans and free public outreach, including a hands-on museum exhibit.

The fellow will work alongside expert biologists at the University of Michigan & Museum of Zoology (UMMZ) to master the skillsets needed to interpret the complex anatomical data generated through CT scans of museum specimens.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.