|
|
Research Goals and Products Phase 1: A pilot study of vaejovid phylogeny, intended to test the monophyly of the family and identify the major monophyletic groups (subfamilies, genera, species groups) that will be subject to further study, is currently in preparation. This analysis includes 90 exemplar species selected from all genera and species groups of Vaejovidae, including all type species and species of uncertain placement, and 15 relevant outgroups. Existing morphological data have been synthesized from the literature and unpublished data, and all characters are in the process of being re-examined, illustrated and documented with digital images. These data will be analyzed separately and simultaneously with a comprehensive molecular dataset for six gene loci (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, Histone H3, 12S rDNA, 16S rDNA and Cytochome Oxidase I) that is in the process of being compiled. Phase 2: Major monophyletic groups identified in the pilot analysis will be intensively studied. Each investigator will revise a particular group and produce a monographic treatment thereof. Revisions will be based on an examination of type material in European and North American collections, non-type material in North American collections, and new material acquired during fieldwork, and will involve a thorough assessment of external morphology (e.g. macrosculpture, carination, trichobothria, macrosetae, sutures, pectines) and internal anatomy (e.g. hemispermatophores, ovariuterus) of all species in the study group using light microscopy and SEM. Each investigator will provide a phylogenetic analysis of the species in their study group, using new and existing morphological characters (fully illustrated and documented with digital images), analyzed separately and simultaneously with molecular data from at least six loci, generated at the AMNH from tissue samples collected during the field trips. Each investigator will redefine genera based on the results of their phylogenetic analyses, describe new species in their study group, redescribe existing species, and provide new diagnoses and illustrated keys for their identification. Descriptions and identification keys will be generated automatically using DELTA (http://delta-intkey.com/), LucID (http://www.lucidcentral.com/) or IntKey (http://delta-intkey.com/) and Pkey and accompanied by illustrations (habitus, diagnostic characters, distribution maps). Digital images of habitus and morphological characters will be archived in the online specimen database, which will contain all specimen and tissue sample provenance data, repositories, accession numbers, identifications, etc. All georeferenced point locality records obtained from material examined and archived in the database, will be submitted to ArcGIS (http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/) for generating distribution maps and for spatial analysis of distribution patterns (e.g. ecological correlates of distribution, assessment of conservation status through gap analysis, etc.). Phase 3: A definitive monograph on vaejovid phylogeny, involving a complete phylogenetic analysis of all vaejovid species defined in phase 2, will be submitted as a coauthored paper by all project participants in the final year of the project. This will be based on amalgamation of all morphological and molecular data acquired in Phases 1 and 2, analyzed separately and simultaneously. The monograph will contain succinct diagnoses for, and a comprehensively illustrated key to all vaejovid subfamilies and genera.
|
|
|
