Dissertation Research: A Cladistic Analysis of the Actiniarian Family Edwardsiidae and its Relationship to the Zoantharia

9801370脂梳带状珊瑚(包括猕猴桃海葵、石珊瑚和珊瑚状珊瑚状息肉，没有石质骨架)的特征是存在一种八射线的、两侧对称的幼虫，称为爱德华幼虫。在大多数动物中，这种幼虫是一个短暂的阶段，发育成具有12个肠系膜和一个独特的基盘的成虫。有一个科，爱德华氏科，之所以被称为幼虫期，是因为它的成虫保留了八个肠系膜，缺乏一个基盘。其他带虫幼虫的形态与成虫的相似之处引起了各种假说，其中包括带虫的基群或衍生冠群的假说。本研究的目的是：(1)用系统发育学方法评估有关爱德华蚊科在带状珊瑚中进化位置的假说。这方面的数据将来自对成人的大体解剖和组织学调查、发育形态发生的研究、线虫囊的扫描电子显微镜和精子的透射电子显微镜。(2)由于爱德华蝶科在许多栖息地明显正在消失，开发准确的物种和属的特征描述和识别指南对我们来说是重要的。因此，我们将开始对爱德华蝇科的种类和属进行修订，其中将包括从同一地区收集的物种内的形态变异分析、同义词列表、分布信息和识别检索表。论文改进奖将允许我们旅行收集标本，并检查欧洲博物馆收藏的标本。

9801370 Lipscomb The Zoantharia (which includes the Actiniaria sea anemones , Scleractinia stony corals , and Corallimorpharia coral-like polyps lacking a stony skeleton ) is characterized by the presence of an eight-rayed, bilaterally symmetric larval form, called the edwardsia larva. In most actiniarians, this larva is a transient stage that develops into an adult with twelve mesenteries and a distinctive basal disc. One family, the Edwardsiidae, gives its name to the larval stage because its adults retain eight mesenteries and lack a basal disc. The similarity between the larval form of other zoantharians and adult edwardsiids has given rise to various hypotheses including the hypothesis that the Edwardsiidae are the basal group or the derived crown group of the Zoantharia. The goals of this research are: (1) to evaluate hypotheses concerning the evolutionary placement of the Edwardsiidae in the Zoantharia using phylogenetic methods. Data for this will come from gross anatomical and histological investigation of adults, studies of developmental morphogenesis, scanning electron microscopy of nematocysts, and transmission electron microscopy of sperm. (2) Because the Edwardsiidae are apparently disappearing from many habitats, it is important for us to develop accurate species and generic characterizations and identification guides. Therefore we will initiate of a revision of the species and genera of Edwardsiidae that will include an analysis of morphological variation within species collected from the same area, lists of synonomy, distribution information, and indentification keys. The Dissertation Improvement Award will allow us to travel to collect specimens and to examine specimens in museum collections in Europe.