DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Patterns of Diversity and Endemism in South-East Asian scorpions: Systematics and Biogeography of Chaerilidae

蝎子科Chaerilidae包括43种分布在南亚和东南亚的物种。Chaerilids形态多样，适应洞穴，落叶和岩石栖息地。它们的分布范围有限，往往是岛屿特有的。这些蝎子的分类是混乱的，对它们的进化知之甚少。联合PI将修订Chaerilidae，并调查它们如何在东南亚多样化。这将需要在其分布范围内收集chaerilid蝎子，评估物种内和物种之间的变化，使用DNA和形态数据构建该家族的进化树，并绘制其在东南亚的分布图。NSF的DDIG将允许合作PI在印度尼西亚收集Chaerilid蝎子，在那里他们没有得到很好的调查，并收集必要的数据来完成她的论文。东南亚有一个地质复杂的历史，还有很多关于生物如何在这个地区多样化的理解。该项目将有助于了解印度尼西亚的地质历史及其动物群的演变。印度尼西亚的生物群也受到栖息地破坏的严重威胁。评估Chaerilid蝎子的多样性将有助于了解东南亚的生物多样性，这对做出明智的保护决策至关重要。

The scorpion family Chaerilidae includes 43 species distributed across South and South-East Asia. Chaerilids are morphologically diverse and adapted to caves, leaf-litter and rocky habitats. They have restricted distributions and are often endemic to islands. The classification of these scorpions is in disarray and little is known about their evolution. The co-PI will revise Chaerilidae and investigate how they diversified across South-East Asia. This will require collecting chaerilid scorpions across their range, assessing variation within and between species, constructing an evolutionary tree for the family using DNA and morphological data, and mapping their distribution across South-East Asia. An NSF DDIG will allow the co-PI to collect chaerilid scorpions in Indonesia, where they have been poorly surveyed, and gather the data necessary to complete her dissertation.South-East Asia has a geologically complex history and much remains to be understood about how organisms diversified across this region. This project will contribute to understanding of the geological history of Indonesia and the evolution of its fauna. The biota of Indonesia is also severely threatened by habitat destruction. Assessing the diversity of chaerilid scorpions will contribute to understanding the biodiversity of South-East Asia, important for making informed conservation decisions.