PEET: The Phylum Nemertea and Morphological and Molecular Phylogenetic Studies and Electronic Media

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9712463 LIPSCOMB Nemerteans are common and important predatory worms, with ca. 1200 described species occupying a wide range of aquatic habitats. Their biological attributes are of general and pharmacological interest and figure prominently in theories of animal diversification. Yet they are widely ignored because identification, even to very broad levels, is difficult. These worms have few external features that can be used reliably to tell them apart. Until now, nemertean taxonomy has been based largely on reconstruction of internal anatomy via histological serial sectioning. However, reference collections of sectioned specimens are poorly developed. Identifying a nemertean is usually a long and labor-intensive process dependent on an uncertain record of prior work. Few experts in this group are now active. The named species represent less than a quarter of those thought to be extant. In this PEET proposal, Diana Lipscomb and colleagues will improve the state of nemertean taxonomy by describing new species, reconstructing phylogenetic relationships among the species, upgrading the worldOs largest reference collection of histologically sectioned nemerteans, and developing a computerized nemertean information system linking text, data, and image files and available via the World Wide Web and CD-ROM. The research will promote nested collaborations among nemertean researchers worldwide, and will train three new nemertean taxonomists in modern methods developed and applied to these worms during the course of the project.