Collaborative Research: WormNet II: Assembling the Annelid Tree of Life

已知的16,000多种环节动物蠕虫显示出巨大的形态多样性，包括火虫、蚯蚓、血虫和水蚤等不同的类群。作为沉积物捕食者、食腐动物和捕食者，环节动物占据着世界各地的陆地和水生栖息地，是深海中最丰富的动物(大于1毫米)，而深海是地球上最广泛的栖息地。环节动物作为诱饵、害虫、入侵物种(如牡蛎钻孔虫)和生态系统工程师具有重要的经济意义。尽管如此，许多关于环节动物的基本问题仍然没有得到解决，因为对它们的多样性和进化史缺乏了解。为了填补这一空白，这个国际项目将使用大规模、多层次的方法组装环节动物系统树。最古老的关系将通过高通量DNA基因组测序技术进行检查。最近的关系将通过多基因DNA方法和基于社区的测序服务来解决，该服务将检查大约3000个物种。环节动物作为为数不多的节段性动物门之一，对于理解动物进化是不可或缺的。该项目在发育生物学、古生物学、海洋生物学、生理学和进化论等领域具有重要的跨学科意义。标本、数据和教育资源将向公众开放。广泛的人力资源开发包括在四个机构培训超过25名本科生、5名研究生和4名博士后研究人员，以及招聘代表性不足的群体。K-12的推广将促进广泛的科学参与。

The more than 16,000 recognized species of annelid worms exhibit immense morphological diversity and include such distinct groups as fireworms, earthworms, bloodworms, and leeches. As sediment feeders, scavengers, and predators, annelids occupy terrestrial and aquatic habitats worldwide and are the most abundant fauna (larger than 1 millimeter) in the deep sea, Earth's most extensive habitat. Annelids have economic importance as bait, pests, invasive species (e.g., oyster borers) and ecosystem engineers. Nonetheless, many fundamental questions about annelids remain unresolved because knowledge of their diversity and evolutionary history is lacking. To fill this gap, this international project will assemble the annelid family tree using a large-scale, multi-tiered approach. The oldest relationships will be examined with high-throughput DNA genome sequencing techniques. Recent relationships will be resolved with multi-gene DNA approaches and a community-based sequencing service that will examine approximately 3000 species. As one of the few segmented phyla, annelids are integral to understanding animal evolution. This project has significant interdisciplinary implications in fields such as developmental biology, paleontology, marine biology, physiology and evolution. Specimens, data, and educational resources will be publicly available. Extensive human resource development includes training more than 25 undergraduates, 5 graduate students and 4 postdoctoral researchers at four institutions, and recruitment of underrepresented groups. K-12 outreach will foster broad scientific participation.