DISSERTATION RESEARCH: A Molecular Phylogeny of Polyneoptera

杨百翰大学（brigham Young University）的Michael Whiting博士和Matthew Terry先生获得了一笔赠款，用于研究一组被称为多翅目昆虫（Polyneoptera）的昆虫之间的关系。这个庞大的群体包括许多众所周知的具有重大经济影响的昆虫，如白蚁、捕食螳螂、蟑螂、竹节虫、蚱蜢、石蝇和蠼螋；还有一些不太为人所知的目，包括网蛛、岩石爬行动物和天使昆虫。这些昆虫中的大多数都有来自地球上每个地区的代表，我们将研究代表每个群体多样性的范例。这项研究将集中于利用聚合酶链反应（PCR）和自动测序等最先进的方法，从每个群体的多个基因中生成DNA序列数据，但也将纳入基于每个群体形态分析的数据。这项工作将为上述群体内部和群体之间广泛的生物、行为和发育数据的评估提供一个背景。其中一个例子就是蟑螂和白蚁的亚社会性和社会性行为的发展；初步分析表明这两个群体彼此密切相关。这项研究还将为未来的研究人员解决一系列直接或间接涉及这一迷人昆虫群体的问题提供基础。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Michael Whiting and Mr. Matthew Terry atBrigham Young University to study the relationships among a group of insects known as Polyneoptera. This large group includes many commonly known insects with substantial economic impact such as termites, preying mantises, cockroaches, stick insects, grasshoppers, stoneflies and earwigs; and lesser known orders including webspinners, rock crawlers and angel insects. Most of these insects have representatives from every region of the earth and exemplars representing the diversity of each group will be examined. This study will concentrate on generating DNA sequence data from multiple genes for each group using state of the art methods such as polymerase chain reactions (PCR) and automated sequencing, but will also incorporate data based on a morphological analysis of each group. This work will provide a context for the evaluation of a wide range of biological, behavioral and developmental data, both within and between the groups mentioned above. One example of this is the development of sub-social and social behavior in cockroaches and termites; two groups that preliminary analyses indicate to be closely related to one another. The study will also provide a foundation for future researchers to address a host of questions that deal both directly and indirectly with this fascinating group of insects.