REVSYS: Killer Snails---Killer Diversity: Biodiversity and Systematics of Conus, the Largest Marine Invertebrate Genus

REVSYS：杀手蜗牛---杀手多样性：最大的海洋无脊椎动物属芋螺的生物多样性和系统学

• 批准号: 0316338
• 负责人: Alan Kohn
• 金额: $ 60万
• 依托单位: University of Washington
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2003
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2003-09-01 至 2007-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0316338&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REVSYS; Killer; Snails; Diversity; Biodiversity

Abstract: DEB-0316338A grant has been awarded to Dr. Alan Kohn of the University of Washington to improve and modernize the classification and systematics of an unusually diverse as well as ecologically and biomedically important group of marine snails. Conus, with more than 500 species worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas, is the largest genus of marine animals. It is thus a major contributor to biodiversity in the sea, but it presents many challenges in identification and classification. The project will use both modern molecular sequencing and quantitative analysis of anatomical features in classification and will elucidate the history of rapid diversification of Conus. It will create a website with extensive, illustrated entries for all species and will enhance access to the results in print as well as electronic media. Extending revisionary work to the poorly understood Atlantic Conus fauna will produce a monograph on Western Atlantic Conus, modeled on the 1995 volume on Indo-Pacific species by Dr. Kohn and colleagues.In addition to its importance for general marine biodiversity, Conus is notable in that many very similar species-up to 36-co-occur on the same coral reef. Ecological studies of these assemblages have helped show why tropical reef-associated habitats support such high biodiversity. All Conus species produce potent venoms called conotoxins used to subdue prey. These conotoxins are now widely used in neurobiology, and the number of medicines derived from them is increasing rapidly. At least three are in current use, and more than 45 patents for medical uses have been awarded. Each of the many similar species has specific ecological characteristics as well as its own suite of venoms, and accurate species determination is essential to both basic scientific and applied fields, but it is difficult. This project will help understand evolutionary history and will facilitate research in ecology, biogeography, evolution, neurobiology, and medicine.

摘要：DEB-0316338 华盛顿大学的 Alan Kohn 博士获得了一项资助，用于改进和现代化海洋蜗牛异常多样化且具有生态和生物医学重要性的群体的分类和系统学。芋螺属在全球热带和亚热带海域有超过 500 种，是海洋动物中最大的属。因此，它是海洋生物多样性的主要贡献者，但它在识别和分类方面提出了许多挑战。该项目将在分类中使用现代分子测序和解剖特征的定量分析，并将阐明圆锥花序快速多样化的历史。它将创建一个网站，其中包含所有物种的大量插图条目，并将增强对印刷品和电子媒体结果的访问。将修订工作扩大到人们知之甚少的大西洋芋螺动物群，将出版一本关于西大西洋芋螺的专着，该专着以 Kohn 博士及其同事 1995 年关于印度-太平洋物种的卷为蓝本。除了对一般海洋生物多样性的重要性之外，芋螺的值得注意之处在于，许多非常相似的物种（多达 36 个）同时出现在同一珊瑚礁上。对这些组合的生态研究有助于揭示为什么与热带珊瑚礁相关的栖息地支持如此高的生物多样性。所有芋螺种类都会产生称为芋螺毒素的强力毒液，用于制服猎物。这些芋螺毒素现已广泛应用于神经生物学，并且由它们衍生的药物数量正在迅速增加。目前至少有 3 项正在使用，并且已授予超过 45 项医疗用途专利。许多相似的物种中的每一个都具有特定的生态特征以及其自己的毒液套件，准确的物种测定对于基础科学和应用领域都至关重要，但它很困难。该项目将有助于了解进化史，并将促进生态学、生物地理学、进化论、神经生物学和医学的研究。