DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Analyzing trait-dependent diversification in lanternfishes (Scopelomorpha; Myctophidae)

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This project represents the first quantitative study of the effects that different forms of a sexually dimorphic bioluminescent trait have on patterns of species diversity in lanternfishes (family Myctophidae), one of the most common and widely distributed deep-sea vertebrate groups. Analysis will be conducted in three stages. First, an evolutionary tree of over 130 lanternfish species will be constructed, using both mitochondrial and nuclear protein-coding DNA sequences. Second, data on the innervation of the bioluminescent trait will be gathered using a combination of traditional and novel imaging techniques to more accurately determine the number and structure of traits. Third, the different traits will be mapped onto the evolutionary tree. Patterns of dimorphism will then be statistically compared with patterns of monomorphism to assess the effect of dimorphic bioluminescent traits on diversification in lanternfishes.The deep sea is both the largest and least well-known region on Earth, and bioluminescence is one of the most abundant traits across the tree of life. Despite these facts, no studies have yet quantitatively analyzed the effect of differences in bioluminescent structures on patterns of species diversity in deep-sea organisms. Lanternfishes present an ideal model group for enhancing our understanding of evolution in this poorly understood realm.