Dissertation Research: Phylogeny of New World Cricetid Rodents Using DNA Hybridization

在威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校John Kirsch博士的指导下，Allan Dickerman正在使用DNA-DNA杂交技术重建蟋蟀科啮齿动物的进化史，并测试与这个多样而重要的哺乳动物家族的进化速度和模式有关的假说。该科由73属369种组成。尽管该群体的进化史存在争议，但它似乎被分为北美和南美两个群体。这项分子水平的研究将检验关于北美和南美洲血统关系、与旧大陆形式的关系、家族内部部落关系等的假设。这项研究将显著增加我们对新大陆生物多样性起源的理解，特别是哺乳动物的起源。

Allan Dickerman, working under the supervision of Dr. John Kirsch at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is using the technology of DNA-DNA hybridization to reconstruct the evolutionary history of rodents in the family Cricetidae and to test hypotheses concerned with the tempo and mode of evolution in this diverse and important family of mammals. The family comprises 369 species divided into 73 genera. Although the evolutionary history of the group is contentious, it appears to be divided into North American and South American Groups. This molecular level study will test hypotheses about the relationships of the North and South American lineages, relationships with Old World forms, relationships of tribes within the family, etc. The study will significantly increase our understanding of the origin of biodiversity within the New World, especially that of mammals.