CAREER: Investigating Biogeographic Hypotheses and Drivers of Diversification in Neotropical Harvestmen (Opiliones: Laniatores) Using Ultraconserved Elements

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Understanding processes that generate biodiversity, and explaining the distribution of species on Earth, are fundamental goals in studies of evolutionary history and biogeography. The arachnid order Opiliones, known as harvestmen or daddy long-legs, provides a powerful model for understanding the factors that affect the distribution of species. This project will advance our scientific knowledge of how species diversity has been shaped by evolutionary processes linked to complex geological and climatic histories. The research will focus on harvestmen in Central America and the Caribbean Islands. The discovery of new species will promote conservation efforts of critical habitats and educate the public about biodiversity science. A postdoctoral researcher and many undergraduate students will participate in mentored research. They will be trained to use powerful bioinformatic tools, cutting-edge molecular approaches, and advanced microscopy techniques. Additional undergraduate students, including non-science majors, will engage in international travel and research through a new course-based undergraduate research experience. Public facing educational materials about harvestmen and other arachnids will be developed, in English and Spanish, for distribution on social media and in communities where field work takes place. The global dimensions of this project will advance public scientific literacy and build strong collaborations within a global network of arachnologists.Researchers will construct a phylogenomic framework based on UCEs (ultraconserved elements) for two clades of Neotropical harvestmen. A robust taxon sample will be assembled by leveraging the taxonomic and geographic strengths of several natural history museum collections combined with field expeditions. The phylogenomic framework will be used to test biogeographic hypotheses, investigate patterns of richness and diversification, and facilitate a modern integrative approach to systematics. Estimating time-calibrated phylogenies and testing biogeographic hypotheses will elucidate the relative role of vicariance and dispersal in producing present-day species distributions in Central America and the Caribbean Islands. Spatial, clade-based, and trait-based patterns of species richness will be explored by comparing the timing and tempo of diversification between multiple lineages in different landscapes (islands and continents). A modern integrative approach to harvestmen systematics will use phylogenetically informative characters to delimit taxa and will contribute to the inventory of global biodiversity. The phylogenomic framework represents a transformative step towards advancing knowledge of harvestmen ecology and evolution and will enable future studies to address species- or clade-specific questions. Curation of citizen science data in iNaturalist and digitization of types and vouchers in museum collections will improve publicly accessible databases. Ultimately, this project will advance our understanding of the diversity of life and provide novel insight into the origins and diversification of a fascinating group of Neotropical arachnids.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.