Evolution of Bill Size Polymorphism in the African Finch    Pyrenestes
{'Code': '08010207', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Gregory J. McCants', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
Basic and applied aspects of NSF grant BSR-8817336,                        entitled "Evolution of Bill Polymorphism in the African Finch                   Pyrenestes."                                                                         What produces and maintains variation in natural populations               is one of the most fundamental and important questions in                       biology, of the types of variation found in species perhaps none                has generated as much debate as the occurrence of polymorphism.                 Polymorphism occur when two or more distinct interbreeding forms                co-occur within a single population.  Despite decades of research               there are few instances where the mechanisms producing                          polymorphism are understood.  The African estrildid finch                       Pyrenestes ostrinus represents one of the few known species where               a polymorphism is associated with differential resource use.                    Building on three years of prior research in the tropical forests               of Africa proposed research endeavors to determine the genetic                  and ecological basis of the polymorphism.  In so doing the                      research should provide an empirical foundation for testing                     current theoretical models for maintaining polymorphism and                     greatly improve our understanding of how variation is maintained                in animals species.                                                                  While only seven percent of the world's land surface is                    covered by tropical forests they contain over half of all known                 species.  Tropical forests play a critical role in regulating the               earth's climate, provide important storehouses of genetic                       material for agriculture, are the source of many important                      pharmaceuticals and provide valuable renewable economic                         resources.  Despite their importance they are disappearing at an                accelerating rate.  For conservation efforts to be successful                   there is a critical need for basic biological information                       tropical rainforests.  As part of the proposed research on                      Pyrenestes critical information important for rainforest                        conservation will also be collected.
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{'Name': 'University of California-Berkeley', 'CityName': 'BERKELEY', 'ZipCode': '947101749', 'PhoneNumber': '5106433891', 'StreetAddress': '1608 4TH ST STE 201', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'California', 'StateCode': 'CA', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '12', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'CA12', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'GS3YEVSS12N6', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, THE', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '1127', 'Text': 'Evolutionary Processes'}
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