Dissertation Research: The Evolution of Arboreal Carabid Beetles

论文研究：树栖步甲虫的进化

• 批准号: 0073273
• 负责人: David Maddison
• 金额: $ 0.83万
• 依托单位: University of Arizona
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-06-01 至 2002-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0073273&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Dissertation; Research; Evolution; Arboreal; Carabid

0073273Maddison and Ober The diversity of many groups of living organisms is related to the evolution of novel features that contribute to an explosive increase in the number of species. Adaptations acquired during such a radiation posses specialized functions and a unique evolutionary history. An example of increasing diversification of species and progressive specialization can be found in carabid beetles, commonly known as ground beetles, that have adapted an arboreal lifestyle. Graduate student Karen Ober, under the direction of Dr. David Maddison, is studying the evolution of arboreal adaptations in carabid beetles by surveying representative taxa across the 10 or so tribes of the large group Lebiomorpha. New collections from Malaysia and from Madagascar (the latter supplied by colleagues) will augment museum holdings and provide materials for molecular and morphological studies. Morphological features include tarsal and claw structures (independent of those associated with mating), leg length, and prorhorax shape, which may be involved in adaptive changes to arboreal life. To investigate the origin and evolution of arboreal carabids, an evolutionary tree of lebiomorphs and their relatives will be reconstructed using molecular sequence data from minimally two genes, the 28S ribosomal RNA gene and the nuclear gene 'wingless.' Both show promise of providing mutational differences that would allow discrimination among lineages of lebiomorphs. With the evolutionary history of relationships in hand, one can study the number and direction of habitat shifts from ground-dwelling to arboreality and explore patterns of changes in ecological and morphological features presumed to be associated with arboreal life.

0073273Maddison和Ober许多生物群体的多样性与新特征的进化有关，这些新特征有助于物种数量的爆炸性增长。在这样的辐射过程中获得的适应性功能和独特的进化历史。物种日益多样化和逐步专业化的一个例子是步甲（通常称为地面甲虫），它们已经适应了树上的生活方式。研究生凯伦·奥伯在大卫·麦迪逊博士的指导下，正在研究步甲适应树栖环境的进化，方法是调查大型群体Lebiomorfa的10个左右部落的代表性类群。来自马来西亚和马达加斯加的新藏品（后者由同事提供）将增加博物馆的藏品，并为分子和形态学研究提供材料。形态特征包括跗骨和爪结构（独立于与交配相关的结构）、腿长和proorhorax形状，这些可能与树栖生活的适应性变化有关。为了研究树栖步甲的起源和进化，我们将利用28S核糖体RNA基因和核基因的分子序列数据重建一个lebiomorphs及其亲属的进化树。“这两种基因都有可能提供突变差异，从而使lebiomorphs的谱系之间存在差异。有了关系的进化史在手，人们可以研究栖息地的数量和方向从地面居住的树栖和探索模式的变化，生态和形态特征推测与树栖生活。