PRF: Molecular and Morphological Evolution of the Finfoots (Aves: Heliornithidae)

鸟类Heliornithidae科的进化关系将通过DNA杂交和核苷酸序列比较来确定。根据分子与形态学和古生物学对生物关系的研究，对太阳鸟目动物关系的不同假设进行了不同的预测。这些假设包括，但不限于，系统发育和生物地理学的相关性，DNA进化速度的恒常性，以及形态特化的不可逆性。finfoot关系的解决将间接检验这些假设，因此它们普遍适用于其他群体。这项研究之所以可行，只是因为一些非常罕见的物种的DNA将从早已死亡的博物馆标本中克隆出来，这证明了博物馆收藏的不可预见的效用。Peter W. Houde博士将在普林斯顿大学进行为期两年的博士后研究。

The evolutionary relationships of the avian family Heliornithidae will be determined by solution DNA hybridization and nucleotide sequence comparisons. Alternate hypotheses of heliornithid relationships are predicted differentially by the assumptions of molecular versus morphological and paleontological studies of organismal relationships. The assumptions include, but are not limited to, the correlation of phylogeny and biogeography, the constancy of the rate of evolution of DNA, and the irreversibility of morphological specializations. Resolution of finfoot relationships will test these assumptions indirectly, hence their general applicability to other groups. This study is feasible only because the DNA of some very rare species will be cloned from long-dead museum specimens, demonstrating unforeseen utility of museum collections. Dr. Peter W. Houde will conduct this postdoctoral fellowship research during a two-year tenure period at Princeton University.