PEET: Enhancing Taxonomy In The Cestoda: Monography Of Selected Tetraphyllidean Groups

这是康涅狄格大学和西弗吉尼亚州立学院的合作项目。该项目的研究工作将集中于为寄生鲨鱼和射线的绦虫目中最大的四个群体--四个最大的群体--生成分类学专著。这项专题研究将涉及对世界各地的博物馆标本进行检查。新的绦虫收集品将来自塞内加尔、马达加斯加和西澳大利亚州等以前从未发现过四种绦虫的地理区域。除了来自光学和扫描电子显微镜的形态数据外，这些专著还将包括关于每个类群的地理分布和进化关系的完整插图和信息。这项工作将得到与伦敦大英自然历史博物馆的Tim Littlewood博士合作使用分子序列信息生成的进化树的补充。作为最初的Peet奖的结果而开发的绦虫数据库将扩大，以包括四种线虫四个目标群体中所有物种的完整数据。该数据库还将扩大，与来自世界各地的非四钩绦虫群分类专家合作，处理其他绦虫群的代表。这些专家将在项目第一年在康涅狄格大学举办的讲习班上熟悉该数据库，并将得到该项目参与者的协助，录入各自群体的数据。该项目的培训部分将包括至少两名博士生，其中一名已经确定，以及一些硕士和本科生。这些学生将参与该项目的所有方面，包括四叉绦虫的分类学和系统学、博物馆工作、田野收藏品、光学和扫描电子显微镜以及数据库。PI、Co-PI和两名博士生将各自负责其中一本专著。四足绦虫仍然是最鲜为人知的绦虫目之一，但最具宿主特异性和形态壮观。它们作为鲨鱼和射线生物学指标的巨大潜力仍未得到充分开发。该项目将培训下一代四叉绦虫分类学专家。所有绦虫种群的分类信息将很容易通过互联网获得。最后，该项目将用于集中关于绦虫的一般分类信息，使其在全球范围内可用。

0118882Caira and RuhnkeThis is a collaboration between the University of Connecticut and West Virginia State College. The research efforts of this project will focus on the generation of taxonomic monographs for four of the largest groups in the most diverse order of tapeworms that parasitize sharks and rays, the Tetraphyllidea. The monographic research will involve examination of museum specimens throughout the world. Collections of new tapeworms will be made from geographic regions previously unexplored for tetraphyllideans including Senegal, Madagascar and Western Australia. In addition to morphological data from light and scanning electron microscopy, the monographs will include complete illustrations and information on geographic distributions and evolutionary relationships of each group. This work will be complemented by evolutionary trees generated using molecular sequence information in collaboration with Dr. Tim Littlewood at the British Museum of Natural History, London. The tapeworm database developed as a result of an initial PEET award will be expanded to include complete data on all species in the four target groups of Tetraphyllidea. This database will also be expanded to treat representatives of other tapeworm groups in cooperation with individuals from around the world expert on the taxonomy of the non-tetraphyllidean tapeworm groups. These experts will be familiarized with the database at a workshop to be held at the University of Connecticut in the first year of the project and will be assisted by participants in this project with data entry on their respective groups. The training components of this project will involve a minimum of two Ph.D students, one of which has already been identified, as well as a number of masters-level and undergraduate students. These students will be involved with all aspects of the project including taxonomy and systematics of tetraphyllidean tapeworms, museum work, field collections, light and scanning electron microscopy and databasing. The PI, Co-PI and two Ph.D. students will each have responsibility for one of the monographs.The tetraphyllidean tapeworms remain among the most poorly known, but most host specific and morphologically spectacular of the tapeworm orders. Their enormous potential as indicators of shark and ray biology remains under-explored. Thisproject will train the next generation of tetraphyllidean tapeworm taxonomic experts. Taxonomic information on all tapeworm groups will be made easily accessible through the internet. Finally, this project will serve to centralize taxonomic information on tapeworms in general, making it available globally.