杂交物种形成与适应性进化机制是进化生物学研究的核心科学问题之一。研究自然杂交区内种群遗传结构与生殖隔离机制有助于深入理解杂交物种形成过程及其适应性进化机制。以往研究对遗传、生殖隔离、形态分化和生态因素等导致的物种形成和适应性进化的内在机制关注不够。本项目拟选择杜鹃属自然杂种粉红爆杖花及其亲本种为研究对象，运用叶绿体DNA片段测序和简化基因组（RAD-seq）测序技术，综合群落调查、传粉生物学、繁殖生物学和生态位模拟等多学科研究手段，对其自然杂交区的种群遗传结构、生殖隔离机制和适合度等开展综合研究，阐明遗传、生殖隔离、形态分化及生态因素等在杂交物种形成过程中的作用及相互关系，以期揭示粉红爆杖花同倍体杂交物种形成过程中种群遗传分化及其适应性进化机制。该项目的实施可为杂交物种形成机制提供新证据，同时有助于深入理解杜鹃属物种多样化形成机制，也可为该属植物资源开发利用提供理论基础。

The mechanism of speciation and adaptive evolution is one of the key scientific questions in evolutionary biology. Investigation of population structure and reproductive isoloation of hybrid zones will help to understand the process of hybrid speciation and adaptive evolution mechanisms. However, the precise mechanisms of adaptive evolution associated with genetic, ecological, morphological and reproductive isolation in plant speciation are largely unkown. In this project, multiple natural hybrid zones of hybrids Rhododendron ×duclouxii and two parent species will be selected here. We will investigate the population structure, introgressive hybridization, reproductive isolation mechanism and fitness using a range of techniques including chloroplast DNA regions, SNPs assayed by restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing employing next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies together with pollination biology, reproductive biology, population genetics and ecological niche modeling. We aim to investigate processes involved in hybrid speciation and adaptive evolution of R. ×duclouxii, and to address the roles of genetic, reproductive and ecological factors in these processes by employing a combination of analytical approaches. The study will be very important for deeply understanding the mechanisms of hybrid speciation of Rhododendron, and also be the basis for scientifically sound proposals for the resource development and utilization of Rhododendron.