ATOL: The Deep Scaly Project: Resolving Squamate Phylogeny Using Genomic and Morphological Approaches

小杰克·W·赛德斯博士获得了一笔赠款。研究有鳞爬行动物(蜥蜴和蛇)的进化史。有鳞动物有7700多个物种，是仅次于鸟类的第二大脊椎动物。有鳞动物进化中的许多关键问题仍然没有解决，如最原始的有鳞动物谱系的鉴定，蛇的起源，以及毒蛇与其他蛇谱系的关系。一个由来自不同机构(杨百翰大学、菲尔德自然历史博物馆、圣地亚哥州立大学、纽约州立大学石溪分校、阿德莱德大学、德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校和耶鲁大学)的八名调查人员组成的国际团队将合作解决狭隘的关系。来自活的和化石形式的解剖学数据将与142个代表性鳞类物种的50个基因的DNA序列结合在一起。解剖数据将使用传统方法和新的高分辨率X射线扫描技术获得。DNA数据将通过整合最近脊椎动物基因组项目的新工具和数据库来生成。计算机建模将被用来确定如何最好地结合来自分子和化石研究的数据来重建进化树。Sites博士将是负责基因选择和测序的几位研究人员之一，Gauthier博士(耶鲁大学)。是通过杨百翰分包的)将是负责收集形态和古生物数据的几名研究人员之一。鳞片动物是生物学中一个重要的模式系统，了解它们的进化史对于全面了解脊椎动物的进化和生态至关重要。在世界许多地区，毒蛇对人类安全构成了重要威胁，识别毒蛇是有效治疗的关键。一个创新的网站将允许被蛇咬伤的受害者和医务人员识别他们所在地区的毒蛇。博士后研究人员和学生将参与该项目的几乎所有方面，因此许多未来生物学家和教育家的培训将得到支持。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Jack W. Sites, Jr. of Brigham Young University to study the evolutionary history of squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes). With more than 7,700 species, squamates are the second largest group of vertebrates after birds. Many critical questions in squamate evolution remain unresolved, such as identification of the most primitive lineage of squamates, the origin of snakes, and the relationships of venomous snakes to other snake lineages. An international team of eight investigators from diverse institutions (Brigham Young University, Field Museum of Natural History, San Diego State University, State University of New York-Stony Brook, University of Adelaide, University of Texas-Austin, and Yale University) will collaborate to resolve squamate relationships. Anatomical data from living and fossil forms will be combined with DNA sequences from 50 genes for 142 representative squamate species. Anatomical data will be obtained using traditional methods and new high resolution X-ray scanning techniques. DNA data will be generated by incorporating new tools and databases from recent vertebrate genome projects. Computer modeling will be used to determine how data from molecular and fossil studies can best be combined to reconstruct evolutionary trees. Dr. Sites will be one of several researchers responsible for the selection and sequencing of genes, and Dr. Gauthier (Yale Univ. is subcontracted through BYU) will be one of several researchers responsible for collection of morphological and paleontological data.Squamates are an important model system in biology, and understanding their evolutionary history is critical for a complete picture of vertebrate evolution and ecology. Venomous snakes pose an important threat to human safety in many parts of the world, and identification is critical for effective treatment. An innovative web-site will allow snakebite victims and medical workers to identify the venomous snakes in their area. Postdoctoral researchers and students will be involved in nearly every aspect of the project, and thus the training of many future biologists and educators will be supported.