CAREER: Investigating the Role of Modularity in the Diversification of the Acanthomorph Skull

鱼的头骨是一种高度复杂的生物结构。它是高度多功能的，可以满足同时执行多项任务的需要，包括喂食、传感和通信。在其3亿年的历史中，头骨经历了戏剧性的变化，因为不同的物种对它进行了调整，以应对不同和独特的环境压力。在这种多样性中，刺鳍鱼(棘形目)是最多样化的动物类群之一，占所有脊椎动物物种多样性的25%以上。这个项目将是第一个在适当的解剖学背景下分析头骨形状演变模式的项目。这项研究将促进对复杂结构如何演变的理解。该项目的结果还将为研究其他复杂生物结构的形状变化提供一个框架。该项目的更广泛影响还包括与圣哈辛托学院合作的海洋生物科学合作项目和夏季REU项目。这项研究将汇编1084种棘形鱼的大型开源微型CT扫描数据集，同时帮助世界各地的博物馆收藏品进行数字化努力。模块化被认为在复杂形态的进化中发挥关键作用，因为它降低了“复杂性成本”，这可以降低特征之间高度整合的种群的适应速度。这项研究将促进对复杂结构如何演变以及模块化在这一过程中所起作用的理解。这项工作的研究目标是(1)利用从显微计算机断层扫描(Micro-CT)扫描数据收集的三维几何形态测量学数据来量化1084种棘形鱼类的头骨形状进化的速度和模式，(2)测试棘形鱼类头骨的进化模块，以及(3)测试棘形鱼类头骨不同模块之间进化速度和模式的差异。教育部分将包括开发一个实践课程模块，向本科生传授生物系统中的模块化知识，这将产生对308个棘形鱼类家族头骨形态的开放式解剖学审查。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。

The fish skull is a highly complex biological structure. It is highly multi-functional, and accommodates the need to perform multiple tasks at the same time, including feeding, sensing, and communication. Over its 300-million-year history, the skull has undergone dramatic changes as different species have adapted it to respond to differing and unique environmental pressures. Amongst this diversity, spiny ray-finned fishes (Acanthomorpha) have emerged as one of the most diverse animal groups, representing over 25% of all vertebrate species diversity. This project will be first of its kind to analyze patterns of skull shape evolution in its proper anatomical context. This study will advance the understanding of how complex structures evolve. The results of this project would also provide a framework for study of shape change across other complex biological structures. The broader impacts of this project also feature a Marine Biology Science Co-op and summer REU program in collaboration with San Jacinto College. The study will produce a compilation of a large open source micro-CT scan dataset for 1084 species of acanthomorph fishes while aiding in digitizing efforts for museum collections worldwide.Modularity is thought to play a key role in the evolution of complex morphologies by reducing the “cost of complexity” which can reduce the rate of adaptation in populations that exhibit strong integration between traits. This study will advance the understanding of how complex structures evolve and the role that modularity plays in this process. The research objectives of this work are (1) to quantify the tempo and mode of skull shape evolution across 1084 acanthomorph fish species using three dimensional geometric morphometrics collected from micro-computed-tomography (micro-CT) scan data, (2) test for evolutionary modularity across the acanthomorph skull, and (3) test for differences in the rate and model of evolution across different modules of the acanthomorph fish skull. The education component will consist of the development of a hands-on course module to teach undergraduates about modularity in biological systems that will produce an open-access anatomical review of the skull morphology of 308 families of acanthomorph fishes.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.