REVSYS: Reconstructing Heroini (Teleostei:Cichlidae) - Of Heroes, Convicts, Angels and Red Devils

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).The roughly 100 species of heroine cichlid fishes are well known among biologists for their charismatic behaviors, dramatic color patterns, and remarkable history of rapid diversification. Yet, little is known about the patterns and process that resulted in this notable diversity. This project will investigate the phylogenetic and biogeographic history of these fishes using data from DNA sequences and morphological analyses. Because these fishes are ancient and restricted to freshwater, they can help resolve how the geological blocks that now make up the Central American landbridge formed and moved over the last 65 million years. This research will help us better understand the geological history of the northern Neotropics and to protect the fragile freshwater habitats where these fishes are found. This project will included training of students at the high school, college, graduate, and postdoctoral levels in the U.S., and in several Latin American countries. The project will also help establish local conservation efforts related to the fragile freshwater ecosystems of the Neotropics and to the effects of habitat loss and the introduction of non-native fishes.