DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Islands underground: species limits, phylogenetics, and conservation of Neoleptoneta spiders in Texas caves

论文研究：地下岛屿：德克萨斯州洞穴中 Neoleptoneta 蜘蛛的物种限制、系统发育和保护

• 批准号: 0909872
• 负责人: Rosemary Gillespie
• 金额: $ 1.42万
• 依托单位: University of California-Berkeley
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-01 至 2011-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0909872&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Islands; underground; species

Cave-adapted organisms are characterized by their specialized biology and limited geographical distributions. Their uniqueness has made them conservation priorities, especially in the Southwestern United States, where rapid development threatens cave habitat. Arachnids are among the most diverse organisms in caves and are a primary conservation concern in Texas where eleven species are listed under the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, the taxonomy for these groups is outdated and prevents an accurate assessment of conservation priority. Recent advances in systematic biology provide new tools that can be used by taxonomists to help resolve these difficulties and provide insight into the evolution of cave organisms.This project is focused on Neoleptoneta, a diverse group of spiders restricted to caves and soil habitats in Southwestern North America where two species, Neoleptoneta microps and N. myopica, are federally recognized as endangered. Preliminary data show that several species, including the endangered Neoleptoneta myopica, are more broadly distributed than believed and suggest that caves are linked into larger subterranean networks. A combination of morphological, molecular, and geological evidence will be used to refine the species limits within Neoleptoneta and ascertain the degree of connectivity between caves. The study will contribute to a better understanding of the biogeography and conservation of cave invertebrates in Texas and test fundamental assumptions about the evolution of cave life. In addition to the graduate student trained as part of this work, the project will train two undergraduate students and contribute to exhibits at the California Academy of Sciences.

洞穴适应生物的特点是其专门的生物学和有限的地理分布。它们的独特性使它们成为保护的优先事项，特别是在美国西南部，那里的快速发展威胁到洞穴栖息地。蛛形纲动物是洞穴中最多样化的生物之一，是德克萨斯州的主要保护问题，其中11种被列入濒危物种法案。不幸的是，这些群体的分类是过时的，并防止保护优先级的准确评估。系统生物学的最新进展为分类学家提供了新的工具，可以帮助解决这些困难，并提供深入了解洞穴生物的进化。联邦政府认定它们是濒危物种。初步数据显示，包括濒临灭绝的Neoleptoneta myopica在内的几个物种的分布范围比人们认为的要广，并表明洞穴与更大的地下网络相连。形态学，分子和地质学证据的组合将被用来细化Neoleptoneta内的物种限制，并确定洞穴之间的连通性程度。这项研究将有助于更好地了解德克萨斯州洞穴无脊椎动物的地理和保护，并测试有关洞穴生命进化的基本假设。除了作为这项工作的一部分培训的研究生外，该项目还将培训两名本科生，并为加州科学院的展览做出贡献。