Doctoral Dissertation Research: Investigating taxonomic efficacy of the skeleton in a primate genus

基于骨骼形态（形状）的物种分类通常集中在颅骨（头骨）的特征上。然而，研究也开始解决骨骼其他部分的分类信号。这个博士论文项目将使用最先进的3D扫描技术，提供一个系统的分类学评估的颅骨和许多颅后骨骼元素之间密切相关的猕猴物种。猕猴是一个理想的模式系统，因为它们在地理上分布广泛，有许多物种，它们占据了广泛的饮食和气候生态位。这些结果将为骨骼形态的哪些方面最能反映猕猴的遗传关系，以及哪些骨骼最能反映物种之间的饮食，运动和环境差异提供新的见解。在现存灵长类动物中的发现也将为化石物种的研究提供信息，而这些化石物种通常无法获得遗传信息。这项研究促进了女科学家的职业生涯，研究结果将传播给历史上代表性不足的K-12学生。此外，3D模型将被用来教育学生如何与不同形态的动物适应他们的环境。公众宣传也将通过博客文章，讲习班和研讨会的演示文稿来实现。该项目旨在确定从骨骼推断的形态数据是否跟踪遗传距离，因此，可以成为物种评估的有用工具。相对似是而非和地理分布广泛的猕猴的头骨将被用来测试的假设，（1）分类可以准确预测的基础上形态模式，（2）后颅元素可能反映分类在同一水平，或更好地比，头骨。数据将包括八种猕猴物种和三种非猕猴外群体的3D形态测量分析，每一种都是根据其不同的遗传、地理和行为相关性而选择的。如果骨骼不遵循遗传学预期的模式，将进行额外的统计分析，以检测骨骼形态受物种间气候、饮食或运动差异影响的程度。这项研究的成果将包括来自单个灵长类属的3D骨骼扫描的大型数据集，该数据集将公开共享。此外，该研究结果将为现存灵长类物种的分析和只知道骨骼碎片形态的灭绝化石物种的分析提供重要的桥梁。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The classification of species based on skeletal morphology (shape) often has been focused on characteristics of the cranium (skull). However, research has also begun to address the taxonomic signal of other parts of the skeleton. This doctoral dissertation project will use state-of-the art 3D scanning technology to provide a systematic taxonomic assessment of the cranium and numerous post-cranial skeletal elements among closely related species of macaques. Macaques are an ideal model system because they are geographically widespread, there are numerous species, and they occupy a wide range of dietary and climatic niches. The results will provide novel insights into which aspects of skeletal morphology best reflect the genetic relationships of macaques, as well as which bones best reflect dietary, locomotor, and environmental differences among species. Findings in extant primates also will inform the study of fossil species where genetic information is typically not available. The research advances the career of a female scientist, and results will be disseminated to K-12 students from historically underrepresented groups. In addition, 3D models will be used to educate students about how animals with different morphologies adapt to their environments. Public outreach also will be achieved through blog posts, workshops, and seminar presentations.This project seeks to determine if morphological data inferred from the skeleton tracks genetic distances, and therefore, can be a useful tool for species assessment. Skeletons of the relatively specious and geographically widespread macaque will be used to test the hypotheses that (1) taxonomy can be accurately predicted based on morphological patterns, and (2) post-cranial elements may reflect taxonomy at the same level, or better than, the skull. Data will consist of 3D morphometric analyses of eight macaque species and three non-macaque out-groups, each chosen for their diverse genetic, geographic and behavioral relatedness. In cases where bones do not follow the pattern expected by genetics, additional statistical analyses will be performed to test the extent to which skeletal morphology is driven by climatic, dietary or locomotor differences between species. The outcomes of this research will include a large dataset of 3D bone scans from a single primate genus, which will be publicly shared. Moreover, the results will provide an important bridge between the analysis of living primate species and extinct fossil species for which only fragmentary skeletal morphology is known.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.