拟申请的项目，瞄准当前进化生物学理论研究的热点问题--昆虫体形进化与适应机制，以筒隐翅虫亚科Osoriinae为对象（重点是平扁形的方胸隐翅虫属Prochirus s. l.和圆柱形的筒隐翅虫属Osorrius），采用X光micro-CT技术和高精度光学成像技术，用几何形态测量方法分析类群近缘、生境相同条件下的甲虫形态结构、体形变化趋势和特定形态功能，以分子系统发育树作为基础和对比模板，开展近缘类群形态结构的生物力学分析，确立体形进化模型（Brownian模型或Ornstein- Uhlenbeck模型），估算进化速率，以期解决类群近缘、生境相同、但体形适应趋势不同所代表的科学问题，揭示相关的生物进化机制，探索这种机制对甲虫物种分化规律的影响。

This project is a study concentrated on the problem of evolutionary biology---insect body evolution and adaptation, which are exhibited in the rove beetle subfamily Osoriinae (mainly the genus Prochirus s.l. of very flat body and the Osorrius of cylindrical body, as two representative extremes of the beetle body variation spectrum). X-ray micro-CT and high level light stereomicroscopes of imaging technology are used to observe body structures; morphometrics are used to analyze body morphologcial variations in close-related taxa living in the similar or same habitats (under dead wood barks) but display different trends of evolution and special functions of ecological adaptation. Molecular phylogenetic trees are to be constructed as the basis of the comparative studies and the biomechanics analyses proposed in the project. Morphological evolutionary models (Brownian model or Ornstein- Uhlenbeck model) are to be tested and the evolutionary rates are to be estimated. The project study is expected to contribute positive results that may help us to understand the mechanism of evolution and adaptation in a close-related beetle group and to unravel the complicated impact of this kind of evolution on specie diversification and speciation of mega-diverse beetles.