SYMPOSIUM: Advances in Decapod Crustacean Phylogenetics

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Crabs, shrimps, lobsters and their many relatives make up an enormous group of crustaceans called "decapods," by far the best known of all crustaceans. There has never been a large-scale meeting of the world's experts to discuss the questions, evidence, and methods for deducing their phylogeny (evolutionary relationships) or their relationships to other crustacean groups. This project will support a meeting to address this oversight by assembling a large and diverse gathering of specialists. The meeting stems from a previously-awarded NSF "Tree of Life" grant and is part of the Society of Integrative and Comparative Biology annual meeting (2008. San Antonio). Because of the diversity of the decapods, their ecological and economic significance, and their popularity with the public, this meeting and workshop will have an impact far greater than elucidating relationships among the many groups of crabs, shrimps, and lobsters. It will be widely attended by students, some of whom will be co-authoring presentations. Invited specialists include females and minorities representing 12 nations. The resulting publication will be a major source of information for future students of crustaceans and will be of great value to marine biologists, resource managers, teachers, and anyone with an interest in marine biology in general and arthropod relationships in particular.