Dissertation Research: Species delimitation and the evolution of dwarfism in the North American tarantula genus Aphonopelma

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The tarantula genus Aphonopelma ranks among the most infamous mygalomorph spiders (tarantulas, trapdoor spiders and their kin) of the American southwest, yet they are a group that has been woefully understudied because traditional morphological characters are generally ineffective at consistently and rigorously identifying species boundaries. Widely distributed throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico, many Aphonopelma species reside within two biodiversity ?hotspots?: the California Floristic Province and the Madrean pine-oak woodlands in Arizona. It is of critical importance that we discover and develop methods to accurately identify the species-level diversity within the group before it is lost to extinction. Our project will integrate "Anchored Enrichment" genomic data, from high-throughput next-generation sequencing, with geospatial analyses to resolve species boundaries within Aphonopelma, while investigating the evolution of miniaturization and subsequent diversification in a very unique lineage of dwarf tarantula species.Data generated from this project will substantially increase the molecular markers currently available for species delimitation in spiders. This will be the first study to employ this cutting edge genomic approach in any spider group. Project activities will provide training in modern phylogenetic and bioinformatics techniques, taxonomic, and organismal expertise to undergraduates from underrepresented groups in science, while broadening international collaboration with graduate students in Mexico and other parts of the world.