Collaborative Research: Phylogeny of New and Old World Venomous Coralsnakes

智力优点-珊瑚蛇代表了一种非常辐射的剧毒，颜色鲜艳的蛇，出现在亚洲和美洲。然而，这些蛇的系统发育关系却鲜为人知，它们的分类也很混乱。本项目将通过收集和分析包含几乎所有珊瑚蛇分类群的多基因组（核和线粒体DNA）和形态特征数据集来研究珊瑚蛇的进化关系。研究结果将用于指导种和属水平的分类修正。除了解决目前珊瑚蛇分类的混乱状态外，本工作还将探索结合和分析多种系统发育特征以解决系统问题的理论和实践问题。同时，本研究也将为今后珊瑚蛇的研究提供一个强有力的进化框架，建立丰富的珊瑚蛇形态和分子数据库，为今后珊瑚蛇的自然史、拟态、毒液进化、治疗学和临床研究奠定基础。更广泛的影响——来自几个国家的本科生和研究生（包括来自科学界代表性不足群体的学生）将接受收集和分析分子和形态数据的培训。该项目将在不同国家（亚洲和拉丁美洲）建立强大的合作网络和伙伴关系，合作者将参与增加分类学采样、形态和分子数据收集以及手稿准备。将建立一个多语种网站，提供有关珊瑚蛇的一般资料、最新的分类资料、现有的研究成果和出版物、未发表的补充数据、珊瑚蛇研究人员索引，并用于吸引更多的合作和研究人员。

Intellectual Merit - Coralsnakes represent an extraordinary radiation of highly venomous, brightly colored snakes that occur through Asia and the Americas. The phylogenetic relationships of these snakes, however, are poorly known, and their taxonomy is chaotic. This project will investigate the evolutionary relationships of coralsnakes through the collection and analysis of a multigenomic (nuclear and mitochondrial DNA) and morphological character dataset encompassing nearly all coralsnake taxa. Results will be utilized to guide taxonomic amendments at the species and genus levels. In addition to resolving the currently chaotic state of coralsnake taxonomy, this work will explore theoretical and practical issues of combining and analyzing diverse phylogenetic characters to solve systematic questions. Also, this work will provide a strong evolutionary framework for future coralsnake research and establish a rich morphological and molecular database for coralsnakes from which to launch future studies on natural history, mimicry, venom evolution, therapeutics, and clinical research.Broader Impacts - Undergraduate and graduate students from several countries (including students from underrepresented groups in science) will be trained in collection and analysis of molecular and morphological data. The project will forge strong collaborative networks and partnerships in diverse countries (in Asia and Latin America), whereby collaborators will participate in increasing taxonomic sampling, morphological and molecular data collection, and manuscript preparation. A multilingual website will be erected to provide general information about coral snakes, taxonomic updates, available research results and publications, unpublished supplemental data, an index of coral snake researchers, and be used to attract additional collaboration and researchers.