DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Historical Biogeography and Evolution of Two Neotropical Montane Clades: Aulacorhynchus (Ramphastidae) and Cyanolyca (Corvidae)

本研究记录了生活在墨西哥南部到玻利维亚的热带山地森林中的翠绿巨嘴鸦（Aulacorhynchus属）和山鸦（Cyanolyca属）的进化史。这两个属的进化关系将使用DNA测序数据来构建系统发育树，阐明有关它们的起源和地理分布的问题，并与其他脊椎动物类群进行比较。这些信息将是初步了解新热带山地生物群多样化历史的关键，新热带山地生物群是世界生物多样性的一个多样化但鲜为人知的部分。本项目的研究结果将为评价青藻属和水藻属植物的保护状况提供重要信息。获得的DNA序列和样本将用于鸟类和基因组进化的未来研究。

This study documents the evolutionary history of the emerald toucanet (genus Aulacorhynchus) and the montane jay (genus Cyanolyca) that inhabit tropical montane forests from Mexico south to Bolivia. Evolutionary relationships in these two genera will be studied using DNA sequencing data to construct phylogenetic trees, elucidate questions regarding their origin and geographical distribution, and compare to other vertebrate groups. This information will be key in generating a first understanding of the history of the diversification of the Neotropical montane biota, a diverse but poorly understood portion of world biodiversity. The information generated in this project will provide important information for evaluating conservation status of species within Cyanolyca and Aulacorhynchus. DNA sequences and samples obtained will be available for future studies in bird and genome evolution.