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

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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.