PEET: Partnerships in Aleocharine Systematics (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): Phylogeny of Basal Lineages and Identification of North American and Mexican Genera

9521755 Ashe隐翅虫科（Staphylinidae）粉虱亚科（Aleocharinae）目前在全世界包括900多个属和12，000个种，是目前分类学上最困难的甲虫（鞘翅目）大类群。然而，在全世界温带和热带地区的许多微生境中，梭梭鱼是丰富的，而且往往是主要的生物多样性组成部分，它们的丰富性和多样性表明，它们可能会产生重大的生态影响。油桐已经沿着沿着许多进化途径多样化，并提供了解决进化生物学中的基本问题，以及行为的起源和修改，生态协会，以及它们在生态系统结构和功能中的作用和生物多样性模式的杰出机会。解决这些问题的能力受到阻碍，即使是最有经验的隐翅虫工人无法确定属和更高的分类群的aleocharines和虚拟缺乏信息的进化关系aleocharines，特别是在较高的分类水平。为了解决这些问题，并为下一代系统学家提供培训，该项目将：1）为一名博士后助理和两名研究生提供全面的培训，2）为北美和墨西哥的Aleocharinae属提供鉴定指南，3）通过互联网连接使字符和图像数据库联机，以及产生一个分析的进化关系的高级分类群的基础谱系的aleocharines。该项目的大纲将提供基本的系统学和基本的系统发生学，可以鼓励更多的研究各种各样的aleocharine系统学，进化和生态学，以及这些甲虫在生态系统结构和功能中发挥的作用，以前不能解决。培训方面将产生在隐翅虫科知识渊博的专家，以及优秀的现代系统学家，这将是未来职位的高度竞争力。***

9521755 Ashe The rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) subfamily Aleocharinae, which currently comprise over 900 genera and 12, 000 species throughout the world, is currently the most taxonomically difficult large group of beetles (Coleoptera). However, aleocharines are abundant, and often dominant, components of the biological diversity of many microhabitats in both temperate and tropical regions throughout the world, and their abundance and diversity suggests that they may have substantial ecological impact. Aleocharines have diversified along many evolutionary pathways and offer outstanding opportunities for addressing fundamental questions in evolutionary biology and about the origin and modification of behavior, ecological associations, and their roles in ecosystem structure and function and patterns of biological diversity. The ability to address these issues is hampered by the inability of even the most experienced staphylinid worker to identify genera and higher taxa of aleocharines and the virtual lack of information about evolutionary relationships of aleocharines, especially at higher taxonomic levels. To address these problems, and to provide for training of the next generation of systematists, this project will: 1) provide comprehensive training for a Postdoctoral associate, and two graduate students, 2) provide identification guides to the genera od Aleocharinae of North America and Mexico, 3) make the character and image database available on-line through an Internet connection and 4) produce an analysis of evolutionary relationships of the higher taxa of basal lineages of aleocharines. %%% The project's outlines will provide access to basic systematics and basal phylogeny that could encourage additional research on the wide variety of aleocharine systematics, evolution and ecology, and the role that these beetles play in ecosystem structure and function, that previously could not be addressed. The training aspects will produce knowledgeable specialists in the Staphylinidae, as well as excellent modern systematists that will be highly competitive for future positions. ***