NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2018

该奖项支持2018财年NSF生物学博士后研究奖学金，即使用生物集合进行研究。该奖学金支持将以创新方式利用生物收藏的研究员的研究和培训。对鱼类惊人成功的解释很复杂，必须考虑到许多因素。为了推动这一领域的发展，该项目调查了已灭绝和活着的河豚、箱鱼、扳鱼、海洋太阳鱼和被称为四齿形鱼类的同类，其中包括一些在鱼类生命树中最极端的身体形状。这些体型的范围从近方形到球形，从椭圆形到横向压缩。四齿形目动物拥有迄今已知的最小的脊椎动物基因组，也是鱼类中最著名和研究最充分的化石记录之一。最近的证据表明，这一群的多样化动力(物种形成和灭绝)与一个被称为古新世始新世热峰(约50 Ma)的时期有关。然而，这一事件或其他古气候变化是如何影响它们随着时间的推移而进化的，目前尚不清楚。该项目将通过利用三维形态计量学量化形态进化和利用生物收集来量化身体尺寸多样性，来合成一个全面的、所有物种的四齿形目的系统发育。它将描述与四齿形目鱼类体型变化相关的候选基因的进化，并使用比较方法来测试形态进化如何有助于四齿形目鱼类的多样化。除了科学努力外，这些资金还被用于促进社区推动的科学努力、学生培训和公共宣传。培训和指导来自代表人数不足的少数群体的本科生和研究生是该项目活动的核心目标。外展活动包括通过探索姐妹4科学计划参加针对芝加哥弱势青年的长期计划，以及在芝加哥大学现有计划中的讲座，如星期六科学家及其活跃的女性参与科学计划。该项目还将通过各种社交平台和科学会议传播有关鱼类多样性的知识。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2018, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will utilize biological collections in innovative ways. Explanations for the spectacular success of fish are complex and must account for many factors. To advance this field, this project investigates extinct and living species of pufferfishes, boxfishes, triggerfishes, ocean sunfishes, and allies called tetraodontiforms that include some of the most extreme body shapes in the Fish Tree of Life. These body types range from nearly square to globose, and spheroid to laterally compressed. Tetraodontiforms harbor the smallest vertebrate genomes known to date and one the best-known and well-studied fossil records among fishes. Recent evidence suggests that diversification dynamics (speciation and extinction) in this group are linked to a period known as the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (ca. 50 Ma). It is still unknown, however, how this event or other paleoclimate changes affected their body shape evolution over time.This project will synthesize a comprehensive, all species, tetraodontiforms phylogeny, by quantifying morphological evolution using 3D morphometrics and body size diversity by leveraging biological collections. It will characterize the evolution of candidate genes associated with body size change in tetraodontiforms, and use comparative methods to test how morphological evolution contributes to tetraodontiform fish diversification. Aside from scientific endeavors, these funds are also being used to contribute to community-driven scientific efforts, student training, and public outreach. Training and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate student from underrepresented minorities constitute a core goal of the activities of the project. Outreach activities include the participation in a long-term program for Chicago disadvantaged youths through the Project Exploration Sisters4Science Program, and lectures at existing programs at the University of Chicago, such as Saturday Scientist and their active Women In Science programs. This project will also broadcast knowledge on fish diversity through a variety of social platforms and at scientific meetings.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.