EAGER: Cavefishes of the Guangxi Karst Region in China

项目名称：EAGER：中国广梓喀斯特地区洞穴鱼类研究者：Soares， daphne项目编号：IOS 1048820本研究计划研究动物如何适应新环境。具体来说，该提案研究了进化如何改变感觉模式，使脊椎动物能够在洞穴中永远黑暗的世界中茁壮成长。物种是有自己的适应方式还是有必须遵循的规则？在进化过程中，感觉模式之间是否存在相互作用？神经系统是如何受到环境限制的？这些问题在洞穴中特别有趣，因为恶劣的环境质量为神经系统随时间的可塑性提供了独特的见解。本文比较了许多穴居鱼类的行为、神经解剖学和基因。这些动物有不同的系统发育，各种完全不相关的物种独立地在世界各地的洞穴中定居。研究不相关的动物可以指出进化的一般规律，比较研究为研究适应创造了一个智力框架。中国包含了文献中报道的大多数洞穴鱼，该项目资助了马里兰大学和上海海洋大学之间的初步工作。研究人员和学生将在广西自治区研究稀有、独特和经常未被描述的洞穴鱼物种。除了研究生物本身，结果可能会揭示可能影响这些动物长期生存的保护问题。该提案不仅解决了可能濒危物种的独特生物学问题，建立了新的国际合作，而且为本科生学习生物学的基本方面创造了一个场所。

Project Title: EAGER: Cavefishes of the Guangzi Karst Region in ChinaInvestigator: Soares, DaphneProject Number: IOS 1048820This research plan investigates how animals adapt to new environments. Specifically, the proposal examines how evolution has changed the sensory modalities that allow vertebrates to thrive in the perpetual world of darkness found in caves. Do species adapt in their own way or there are rules that they must follow? Is there interplay between sensory modalities during evolution? How are nervous systems constrained by their environment? These questions are especially interesting in caves because the harsh quality of the environment provide unique insights into the malleability of nervous systems over time. This proposal compares the behavior, neuroanatomy and genes of many species of cavefishes. These animals have a diverse phylogeny and various completely unrelated species have independently colonized caves all over the world. Examining unrelated animals can point towards general rules of evolution and comparative studies create an intellectual framework for the study of adaptation. China contains the majority of reported cavefishes in the literature and this project funds preliminary work between the University of Maryland and the Shanghai Ocean University. Researchers and students will be examining rare, unique and often undescribed species of cavefish in the Guangxi autonomous region. Aside from studying the organisms themselves results are likely to uncover conservational issues that may impact the long term survival of these animals. This proposal not only addresses unique biological questions in possibly endangered species, establishes a new international collaboration, but also creates a venue for undergraduate students to learn essential aspects of Biology.