RPG: Phylogenetic Evaluation of Octopod Suborders

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Octopuses of the near-shore and open-ocean marine realm are ecologically diverse but poorly known taxonomically. Species and genera are usually discriminated by external features of morphology that may well represent convergences in styles of predation. Dr. Voight will conduct intensive histological studies of arm musculature and digestive tract organs to describe these systems in detail and thus acquire new characters for taxonomic comparison and phylogenetic analysis. Special emphasis is placed on arm muscles, suckers, esophageal crop, gills, and salivary glands and ducts. %%% In a research planning grant Dr. Voight will begin intensive histological studies of the arm musculature and digestive system of octopuses of the world. The goal is to describe these systems in detail and thus acquire new taxonomic characters for the recognition of species and genera, and eventually for inferring phylogenetic relationships among the ecologically diverse groups of near-shore and open-ocean octopods.