U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Systematics and Biogeography of Indo-Australian Ants

该奖项将允许加州大学戴维斯分校的Philip S. Ward博士和澳大利亚堪培拉澳大利亚国家昆虫收藏的Robert W. Taylor博士就印度-澳大利亚蚂蚁的系统关系进行合作研究。本研究的主要目的是：(1)阐明几个重要的印度-澳大利亚蚂蚁类群的种级系统分类学；(2)收集有助于分析这些蚂蚁之间系统发育关系的数据；(3)利用蚂蚁系统发育和分布的信息来检验关于澳大利亚大陆的生物地理学假设。现场收藏将在澳大利亚和美拉尼西亚进行。将使用常规形态学检查、形态计量学分析和显微雕刻扫描电子显微镜研究相结合的方法对标本进行分析。分类评估将由分类数据库管理系统和计算机辅助系统进行系统发育推断。这项研究的结果将为几个蚂蚁群体提供急需的分类修订，并将深入了解澳大利亚生物群的历史。Ward博士对要研究的蚁群有广泛的了解，并具有当前生化和分析程序的背景。泰勒博士在澳大利亚蚂蚁动物群方面有超过20年的经验，并且可以访问重要的收藏品和分析评估和处理所需的计算机程序和设备。

This award will allow collaborative studies between Dr. Philip S. Ward of the University of California, Davis and Dr. Robert W. Taylor of the Australian National Insect Collection, Canberra, Australia on the systematic relationships of Indo-Australian ants. The principle objectives of the research are (1) to clarify the species-level systematics of several important groups of Indo-Australian ants, (2) to gather data which will facilitate the analysis of phylogenetic relationships among these ants, and (3) to utilize information on ant phylogeny and distribution to test biogeographic hypotheses about the Australian continent. Field collections will be made in Australia and Melanesia. Specimens will be analyzed using a combination of conventional morphological examination, morphometric analysis, and scanning electron microscope studies of microsculpture. Taxonomic assessments will be aided by a taxonomic database management system and computer-assisted programs for phylogenetic inference. Results from this research will provide much-needed taxonomic revisions of several ant groups and will yield insight into the history of the Australian biota. Dr. Ward has broad knowledge of the ant groups to be studied as well as a background in current biochemical and analytical procedures. Dr. Taylor has more than 20 years of experience on the Australian ant fauna in general, as well as access to important collections and computer programs and equipment necessary for analytical evaluation and processing.