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，因为它们在能量和养分循环中起着重要作用。轮虫也被证明是衰老和毒理学研究的有价值的模型，并且是理解动物进化模式的关键早期分化谱系。尽管如此，轮虫物种仍然难以识别，并且在进化分支中很少有系统发育关系得到很好的支持。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将通过结合先进的分子和形态学技术，提高轮虫门的系统发育和分类分辨率。这项研究将为该分支提供一个新的系统发育分类，以及对轮虫谱系中分子进化速率和隐物种形成速率和驱动因素的见解。该项目将为三个合作机构的研究生和本科生提供轮虫系统学方面的科学培训。本科生实验模块、新设计的博物馆展览和科学研讨会都将有助于广泛传播研究成果。公众可以通过“生命百科全书”网站获得互动教程和轮虫物种的钥匙，以及该项目的其他成果。

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.