Collaborative Research: Integrating genetics, life history, and morphology to understand the diversification of an enigmatic metazoan lineage

轮虫是淡水群落的重要成员，因为它们在能量和营养循环中发挥着重要作用。轮虫也被证明是衰老和毒理学研究的有价值的模型，并且是理解动物分支内进化模式的关键早期分歧谱系。尽管这一点很重要，但轮虫物种仍然很难识别，分支内的系统发育关系也很少得到很好的支持。这一合作努力将德克萨斯大学埃尔帕索分校、马萨诸塞大学洛厄尔分校和里彭学院的研究人员联系在一起，通过结合先进的分子和形态技术，将提高轮虫门的系统发育和分类分辨率。这项研究除了深入了解轮虫的分子进化速率和隐蔽物种形成的速率和驱动因素外，还将对该分支进行新的系统发育分类。该项目将为三个合作机构的研究生和本科生提供专注于轮虫系统学的科学培训。本科生实验室模块、新设计的博物馆展览和科学研讨会都将有助于广泛传播结果。公众将能够通过生命百科全书网站获得轮虫物种的互动教程和检索表，以及该项目的其他结果。

Rotifers are critical members of freshwater communities because of their important roles in energy and nutrient cycling. Rotifers have also proven to be valuable models for aging and toxicology studies, and are a key early diverging lineage for understanding the pattern of evolution within the animal clade. Despite this importance, rotifer species remain difficult to identify and few phylogenetic relationships within the clade are well supported. This collaborative effort linking researchers at the University of Texas El Paso, University of Massachusetts Lowell and Ripon College will increase phylogenetic and taxonomic resolution within phylum Rotifera by using a combination of advanced molecular and morphological techniques. This research will result in a new phylogenetic classification for the clade, in addition to insights into the rates of molecular evolution and the rates and drivers of cryptic speciation within the rotifer lineage.The project will provide scientific training focused on rotifer systematics to graduate and undergraduate students at each of the three collaborating institutions. An undergraduate laboratory module, newly designed museum exhibit, and scientific workshops will all help disseminate the results broadly. The public will be able to access an interactive tutorial and key to rotifer species, plus other results from the project via the Encyclopedia of Life website.