PEET: Partnerships in Aleocharine Systematics (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): Phylogeny of Basal Lineages and Identification of North American and Mexican Genera

棘甲虫亚科棘甲虫亚科目前在世界范围内共有900余属12000余种，是甲虫（鞘翅目）中分类学上最困难的一大类群。然而，在世界各地温带和热带地区的许多微生境中，异丙沙林是丰富的，而且往往是生物多样性的主要组成部分，它们的丰度和多样性表明它们可能具有重大的生态影响。精氨酸沿着许多进化途径多样化，为解决进化生物学中的基本问题、行为的起源和改变、生态关联、它们在生态系统结构和功能以及生物多样性模式中的作用提供了绝佳的机会。即使是最有经验的葡萄球菌工作人员也无法识别异丙沙林属和高级分类群，并且缺乏关于异丙沙林进化关系的信息，特别是在更高的分类水平上，这阻碍了解决这些问题的能力。为了解决这些问题，并为下一代系统学家提供培训，本项目将：1)为一名博士后和两名研究生提供综合培训；2)为北美和墨西哥的Aleocharinae属提供鉴定指南；3)通过互联网连接在线提供特征和图像数据库；4)对aleocharines基础谱系高级分类群的进化关系进行分析。该项目的概要将提供基本的系统分类学和基础系统发育的途径，这可以鼓励对各种各样的狐蛉系统分类学、进化和生态学的进一步研究，以及这些甲虫在生态系统结构和功能中所起的作用，这是以前无法解决的。培训方面将培养葡萄球菌科知识渊博的专家，以及优秀的现代系统学家，他们将在未来的职位上具有很强的竞争力。＊＊＊

9521755 Ashe The rove beetle (family Staphylinidae) subfamily Aleocharinae, which currently comprise over 900 genera and 12, 000 species throughout the world, is currently the most taxonomically difficult large group of beetles (Coleoptera). However, aleocharines are abundant, and often dominant, components of the biological diversity of many microhabitats in both temperate and tropical regions throughout the world, and their abundance and diversity suggests that they may have substantial ecological impact. Aleocharines have diversified along many evolutionary pathways and offer outstanding opportunities for addressing fundamental questions in evolutionary biology and about the origin and modification of behavior, ecological associations, and their roles in ecosystem structure and function and patterns of biological diversity. The ability to address these issues is hampered by the inability of even the most experienced staphylinid worker to identify genera and higher taxa of aleocharines and the virtual lack of information about evolutionary relationships of aleocharines, especially at higher taxonomic levels. To address these problems, and to provide for training of the next generation of systematists, this project will: 1) provide comprehensive training for a Postdoctoral associate, and two graduate students, 2) provide identification guides to the genera od Aleocharinae of North America and Mexico, 3) make the character and image database available on-line through an Internet connection and 4) produce an analysis of evolutionary relationships of the higher taxa of basal lineages of aleocharines. %%% The project's outlines will provide access to basic systematics and basal phylogeny that could encourage additional research on the wide variety of aleocharine systematics, evolution and ecology, and the role that these beetles play in ecosystem structure and function, that previously could not be addressed. The training aspects will produce knowledgeable specialists in the Staphylinidae, as well as excellent modern systematists that will be highly competitive for future positions. ***