Collaborative Research: Biogeographic Isolation and Morphological Convergence in Scleractinian Corals, Suborder Faviina

合作研究：石珊瑚亚目 Faviina 的生物地理隔离和形态趋同

• 批准号: 0344310
• 负责人: Nancy Knowlton
• 金额: $ 35.99万
• 依托单位: University of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of Oceanography
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-02-01 至 2008-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0344310&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Biogeographic; Isolation; Morphological

The purpose of this collaborative research by Prof. Ann Budd at University of Iowa and Prof. Nancy Knowlton at University of California, San Diego, is to clarify evolutionary relationships among reef-building corals. The plan for research includes a detailed re-analysis of four related families, which together comprise about one half of the major groups (genera) of reef-building corals. Preliminary research suggests that current assumptions about relationships and corresponding definitions of families and genera are seriously flawed. In particular, one third of all Atlantic corals belong to a previously unrecognized family that is distinct from many other conventionally recognized families in the Pacific. In a particularly extreme example, Atlantic corals currently assigned to different families are in fact more closely related to each other than they are to their supposed close relatives in the Pacific. The investigators will use modern molecular and morphological methods to study taxonomic and phylogenetic relationships of these corals. Mitochondrial and nuclear genes will be sequenced, and coral skeletons will be sectioned in order to observe fine details (microstructure). Molecular and morphological characters will then be analyzed using computer-based methods to derive a family tree. The results will be made available on web sites as well as in the scientific literature (including an illustrated taxonomic monograph), and the investigators will also host a workshop at the International Coral Reef Symposium that is held once every four years. Coral reefs are the most diverse of all marine habitats, and among the most threatened. As such, there have been numerous suggestions for how to prioritize conservation efforts. Most of these are based on species numbers, and for that reason Atlantic corals have been considered relatively trivial from a biodiversity perspective. In a recent high-profile paper, for example, only 4 of 18 identified biodiversity hotspots were in the Atlantic. However, scientists and the public have long recognized that evolutionary distinctiveness is also an important criterion for making conservation decisions; hence, for example, the interest of the public in coelacanths and other living fossils. This research will for the first time provide a modern evolutionary framework for these reef-building corals, so that evolutionary distinctiveness as well as species numbers can be considered when evaluating conservation options. This is particularly important in light of the discovery of a major radiation of corals limited to the Atlantic, since Atlantic corals have declined by 80% across much of their range over the last three decades.

爱荷华大学的 Ann Budd 教授和加州大学圣地亚哥分校的 Nancy Knowlton 教授进行的这项合作研究的目的是阐明造礁珊瑚之间的进化关系。 研究计划包括对四个相关科进行详细的重新分析，这些科共同构成了造礁珊瑚主要类群（属）的大约一半。 初步研究表明，当前关于关系的假设以及科和属的相应定义存在严重缺陷。 特别是，三分之一的大西洋珊瑚属于以前未被识别的珊瑚科，该科与太平洋许多其他传统上认可的珊瑚科不同。 在一个特别极端的例子中，目前分配到不同科的大西洋珊瑚实际上彼此之间的关系比它们与太平洋上所谓的近亲之间的关系更为密切。 研究人员将使用现代分子和形态学方法来研究这些珊瑚的分类学和系统发育关系。 线粒体和核基因将被测序，珊瑚骨骼将被切片以观察精细细节（微观结构）。 然后将使用基于计算机的方法分析分子和形态特征以得出家谱。结果将在网站和科学文献（包括插图分类学专着）中公布，研究人员还将在每四年举行一次的国际珊瑚礁研讨会上举办研讨会。珊瑚礁是所有海洋栖息地中最多样化的，也是受威胁最严重的。 因此，对于如何优先考虑保护工作提出了许多建议。 其中大部分都是基于物种数量，因此从生物多样性的角度来看，大西洋珊瑚被认为相对微不足道。例如，在最近的一篇备受瞩目的论文中，18 个已确定的生物多样性热点地区中只有 4 个位于大西洋。然而，科学家和公众早已认识到，进化的独特性也是做出保护决策的重要标准；因此，例如，公众对腔棘鱼和其他活化石的兴趣。 这项研究将首次为这些造礁珊瑚提供现代进化框架，以便在评估保护方案时可以考虑进化独特性和物种数量。 鉴于发现珊瑚的主要辐射仅限于大西洋，这一点尤其重要，因为在过去三十年中，大西洋珊瑚的大部分分布范围减少了 80%。