RUI: Morphology and Evolution of the Pectoral Complex in Catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes)

这项研究提出了一种进化分析的形态胸鳍和相关的骨骼和肌肉元素(以下简称胸骨复合体)在鱼类。胸复合体在结构和功能上都表现出显著的多样性，但在该类群中缺乏对这一特征丰富的复合体的全面调查。这种信息的匮乏对胸骨复合体的肌肉结构来说尤其严重。本研究的目的是：(1)调查鱼类的胸鳍复合体，以确定其结构多样性的程度；(2)确定复合体内元素的进化变化相互关联的程度，以及胸鳍功能的变化；(3)确定胸骨复合体特征对推断现存和化石的35个科的进化关系的意义。这项研究的结果将被用来开发关于鲶鱼胸骨复合体结构进化的假说，以指导定量/实验研究。这项研究将产生关于鲶鱼关系的假说，这些假说可以与来自其他解剖/功能复合体的信息结合在一起，或被来自其他解剖/功能复合体的信息检验。这项研究还将有助于更好地理解鲶鱼的多样化与地球历史的关系。由于鲶鱼约占所有主要淡水鱼的30%，这项工作将有助于揭开世界淡水鱼动物群--水生生物多样性的一个重要组成部分--的复杂演化史。

This study proposes an evolutionary analysis of the morphology of the pectoral fin and related skeletal and muscular elements (henceforth referred to as the pectoral complex) in catfishes. The pectoral complex exhibits remarkable diversity in catfishes, with regard to both structure and function., However, there is lacking a comprehensive survey of this character-rich complex in the group. This scarcity of information is particularly acute for the musculature of the pectoral complex. The goals of this study are: (1) to survey the pectoral complex in catfishes to define the extent of its structural diversity; (2) to determine the extent to which evolutionary modifications of elements within the complex are correlated to each other and to modifications in pectoral fin function; (3) to determine the significance of pectoral complex characters for inferring evolutionary relationships of the 35 extant and fossil catfish families. The results of this study will be used to develop hypotheses of the structural evolution of the catfish pectoral complex that can guide quantitative/experimental investigations. This study will generate hypotheses of catfish relationships that can be combined with or tested by information from other anatomical/functional complexes. This study will also contribute to a better understanding of how the diversification of catfishes has been related to earth history. Inasmuch as catfishes constitute approximately 30% of all primary freshwater fishes, this work will assist in unravelling the complex evolutionary history of the world's freshwater fish faunas - a significant component of aquatic biological diversity.