Systematics, Zoogeography and Phylogenetics of Skates (Chondrichthyes, Rajoidei)

这项建议是一项资金申请，用于继续对溜冰鱼和鳍鱼(扁平软骨鱼)的系统学、分布和进化关系进行长期研究。这项研究的总体目标是阐明冰刀鱼亚属和属之间的进化关系，利用这些信息构建冰刀鱼的分布和进化模式，并推测冰刀鱼和其他种类的鱼(锯鱼、吉他鱼、电鱼和刺鱼)的进化关系。具体地说，拟议的研究将：1)通过对所有亚属和属以及大多数物种的头骨、颧弓、肩带、骨盆带、内侧器官和牙齿形态的比较分析，对当前关于溜冰鞋进化关系的假说进行必要的测试、阐述和修订；(2)比较溜冰鞋的这些结构、颧弓肌肉、脑神经、头、颧弓血管与其他鳍条的结构。在过去的30到40年里，对溜冰鞋进行了详细的系统和进化研究，为全面和深入的溜冰鞋进化研究奠定了基础。这些研究澄清了大多数种水平的系统问题，并识别了大多数亚属和属。然而，进化关系仍然不确定。这项拟议研究的成功完成将有助于：1)澄清软骨鱼类(嵌合体、鲨鱼和射线)的进化相互关系；2)了解底栖鱼类的分布模式；以及3)了解多样性但形态保守的生物群的进化模式。

This proposal is a request for funds to continue a long term study on the systematics, distribution, and evolutionary relationships of skates and rays (flattened cartilaginous fishes). The overall objectives of the study are to clarify the evolutionary relationships within and among the subgenera and genera of skates, to use this information to construct distributional and evolutionary patterns for skates, and to speculate on the evolutionary relationships of skates and the other taxa of rays (sawfishes, guitarfishes, electric rays and sting rays). Specifically, the proposed research will: 1) test, elaborate and revise as necessary the current hypothesis of evolutionary relationships of skates by comparative analysis of the skull, gill arches, shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle, intromittent organs, and tooth morphology of all subgenera and genera and a majority of the species; and 2) compare these structures, and the gill arch musculature, cranial nerves, and head and gill arch blood vessels of skates with those of other rays. Detailed systematic and evolutionary studies of skates over the past 30 to 40 years have set the stage for a comprehensive and in-depth evolutionary study of skates. These studies have clarified most of the species level systematic problems and recognized most of the subgenera and genera. However, the evolutionary relationships remain uncertain. Successful completion of the proposed study will contribute to: 1) clarification of the evolutionary interrelationships of the cartilaginous fishes (chimaeras, sharks and rays); 2) the understanding of the distributional patterns of benthic fishes; and 3) knowledge of the evolutionary patterns of a diverse but morphologically conservative group of organisms.