Collaborative Research: Evolution in a Vortex: An Inventory of the Fishes and Mollusks of the Lower Congo River Rapids

自然科学学院的Daniel Graf博士与美国自然历史博物馆的Melanie Stiassny合作，获得了一笔赠款，用于调查西非刚果河下游淡水软体动物(蛤和蜗牛)的多样性。生物学家之所以对这些生物感兴趣，不仅是因为它们有有趣的进化史，还因为它们是致病寄生虫的中间宿主。刚果最低的河段被许多强大的急流打断，预计这些瀑布构成了水上扩散的障碍，因此有助于该地区特有的多样性。通过对下刚果的抽样考察，为这项研究收集的标本可以用来检验种群水平和整个大陆范围内物种之间进化关系和生物地理过程的假说。其结果将是对西非生物多样性的起源和维持有更清晰的了解。这项研究产生的数据和结论不仅将通过传统媒体提供，而且还将利用现代传播手段，特别是互联网(http://www.mussel-project.net/).该项目互联网存在的一个重要组成部分将是使用强大的数据库技术，提供多个入口点的数据和结论的搜索和浏览界面。这项研究的目标受众不仅是科学家和环境保护官员，这些成果还将服务于教师、学生和所有有兴趣更好地了解他们的世界的公众。除了为一个有趣、重要但鲜为人知的动物群提供新的科学视角外，这项研究还将通过实践研究经验，培训包括刚果教职员工和学生在内的有前途的生物学家。

A grant has been award to Dr. Daniel Graf of the Academy of Natural Sciences in collaboration with Melanie Stiassny of the American Museum of Natural History to survey the diversity of freshwater mollusks (clams and snails) in the Lower Congo River of Western Africa. These organisms are of interest to biologists not only because they have interesting evolutionary histories but also as intermediate hosts of disease-causing parasites. The lowest reach of the Congo is punctuated by numerous powerful rapids, and it is expected that these cataracts constitute barriers to aquatic dispersal and therefore contribute to the endemic diversity of the area. Through sampling expeditions to the Lower Congo, the specimens collected for this research can be used to test hypotheses of evolutionary relationships and biogeographic processes, both at the population level and among species on a continent-wide scale. The result will be a clearer understanding of the origin and maintenance of biological diversity in western Africa. The data and conclusions generated by this research will not only be made available through traditional media but will also take advantage of modern means of dissemination, especially the internet (http://www.mussel-project.net/). An important component of the internet presence for this project will be the use of powerful database technology to provide searching and browsing interfaces into the data and conclusions, with multiple points of entry. The target audience for this research is not only scientists and conservation officials; these results will also serve teachers, students and all members of the public interested in better understanding their world. Besides providing a novel scientific perspective on an interesting, important but poorly known fauna, this study will also serve to train up-and-coming biologists including Congolese faculty and students through hands-on research experience.