Phylogenetic Analysis of the Lamprologine Cichlids: Taxonomic Diversity and Morphological Exuberance in the African Cichlidae

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The lamprologine chichlids of Africa are an extraordinarily species-rich and ecologically diverse group of fishes. Within Lake Tanganyika, where most of the species occur, they constitute 75% of the littoral fish community and form a centrally important component of the ecology and economics of the Lake Tanganyika ecosystem. For the study of processes of speciation and diversification, patterns of morphological and molecular tranformation, and ecological, trophic and reproductive divergence, it is hard to imagine a better suited cichlid model than the lamprologines. The study will document the anatomical variation exhibited by the group, determine the phylogenetic position of the lamprologines within the African Cichlidae, and resolve their species-level intrarelationships. The project represents a major contribution to our understanding of cichlid morphological systematics, and will also lay the foundation for the truly integrative study of morphological, molecular and ecological evolution in a major group of fishes. The PI and her institution are well equipped to conduct this research.