PEET: Enhancing Taxonomy In The Cestoda: Monography Of Selected Tetraphyllidean Groups

0118882 Caira和Ruhnke这是康涅狄格大学和西弗吉尼亚州立大学之间的合作。 该项目的研究工作将侧重于编写寄生于鲨鱼和鳐的绦虫目-Tetraphyllidea-中最多样化的四个最大类群的分类学专著。专题研究将涉及世界各地博物馆标本的检查。 新绦虫的收集将从以前未探索过的四叶虫地理区域进行，包括塞内加尔，马达加斯加和西澳大利亚。 除了光学和扫描电子显微镜的形态学数据外，专著还将包括关于每个群体的地理分布和进化关系的完整插图和信息。 这项工作将通过与伦敦大英自然历史博物馆的Tim Littlewood博士合作使用分子序列信息生成的进化树来补充。由于最初的PEET奖而开发的绦虫数据库将扩大，以包括Tetraphyllidea四个目标群体中所有物种的完整数据。 该数据库还将扩大到与来自世界各地的非四叶虫绦虫群分类学专家合作治疗其他绦虫群的代表。这些专家将在项目第一年在康涅狄格大学举行的讲习班上熟悉数据库，并将在项目参与者的协助下输入各自群体的数据。该项目的培训部分将涉及至少两名博士生，其中一名已经确定，以及一些硕士和本科生。 这些学生将参与该项目的各个方面，包括Tetraphyllidean绦虫的分类学和系统学，博物馆工作，实地收集，光学和扫描电子显微镜和数据库。 PI，Co-PI和两个博士四叶目绦虫是绦虫目中最不为人所知的，但大多数宿主特异性和形态学上最壮观的绦虫目。 它们作为鲨鱼和鳐鱼生物学指标的巨大潜力仍然没有得到充分开发。 本项目将培养下一代四叶虫分类学专家。 所有绦虫群的分类信息将通过互联网方便地提供。 最后，该项目将有助于集中关于绦虫的一般分类信息，使其在全球范围内可供使用。

0118882Caira and RuhnkeThis is a collaboration between the University of Connecticut and West Virginia State College. The research efforts of this project will focus on the generation of taxonomic monographs for four of the largest groups in the most diverse order of tapeworms that parasitize sharks and rays, the Tetraphyllidea. The monographic research will involve examination of museum specimens throughout the world. Collections of new tapeworms will be made from geographic regions previously unexplored for tetraphyllideans including Senegal, Madagascar and Western Australia. In addition to morphological data from light and scanning electron microscopy, the monographs will include complete illustrations and information on geographic distributions and evolutionary relationships of each group. This work will be complemented by evolutionary trees generated using molecular sequence information in collaboration with Dr. Tim Littlewood at the British Museum of Natural History, London. The tapeworm database developed as a result of an initial PEET award will be expanded to include complete data on all species in the four target groups of Tetraphyllidea. This database will also be expanded to treat representatives of other tapeworm groups in cooperation with individuals from around the world expert on the taxonomy of the non-tetraphyllidean tapeworm groups. These experts will be familiarized with the database at a workshop to be held at the University of Connecticut in the first year of the project and will be assisted by participants in this project with data entry on their respective groups. The training components of this project will involve a minimum of two Ph.D students, one of which has already been identified, as well as a number of masters-level and undergraduate students. These students will be involved with all aspects of the project including taxonomy and systematics of tetraphyllidean tapeworms, museum work, field collections, light and scanning electron microscopy and databasing. The PI, Co-PI and two Ph.D. students will each have responsibility for one of the monographs.The tetraphyllidean tapeworms remain among the most poorly known, but most host specific and morphologically spectacular of the tapeworm orders. Their enormous potential as indicators of shark and ray biology remains under-explored. Thisproject will train the next generation of tetraphyllidean tapeworm taxonomic experts. Taxonomic information on all tapeworm groups will be made easily accessible through the internet. Finally, this project will serve to centralize taxonomic information on tapeworms in general, making it available globally.