DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Morphological and developmental disparity dynamics associated with the emergence of commensalism and the loss of swimming in "swimming" crabs

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The proposed project will investigate how morphological and developmental diversity accumulated in a unique and charismatic lineage of crabs belonging to the economically important "swimming crab" family Portunidae. Diversification of these crabs included significant ecological divergence that involved abandoning a swimming lifestyle for sedentary, symbiotic relationships with reef-associated organisms. Research will include comparative analyses of size, shape and growth data. The primary goal of this work will be to infer whether significant developmental differences between these crabs were generated before, during or after significant changes in adult forms and whether these divergences correlate to the emergence of symbiotic associations in the group. Results of this work will contribute to an active area of research concerned with how external (e.g. ecological) and internal (e.g. developmental) factors influence morphological diversification.This project will provide the co-PI with opportunities to foster collaborations both nationally and internationally. It will also facilitate the training of undergraduate students on research methods in molecular systematics. Fieldwork activities will be shared with the public through the science blog "Adventures in Spineless Science!". Specimens, tissue samples and photographs collected for this work will be curated and archived at the Florida Museum of Natural History; making them available for other researchers. Results will be professionally communicated at scientific meetings and through publication in open-access journals.