Collaborative Research: AToL: Morphological and Molecular Phylogeny of the Decapod Crustaceans

据估计，十足类动物包含超过15，000种，是甲壳纲动物中物种最丰富和经济上最重要的一组，包括虾，蟹，小龙虾和龙虾。 此外，许多现存的家族都有很好的化石记录。因此，十足类动物已发表的论文比所有其他甲壳类动物的总和还要多，部分原因是它们的物种丰富，经济重要性和形态多样性。 由于十足类动物在公众和科学界的普遍存在，了解这一重要甲壳类动物群体的进化历史至关重要。五个主要研究者，K。Crandall，D.Felder，J. Martin，C. Schweitzer和R. Feldman将领导一个由十足类研究人员组成的国际小组，通过整合发育、形态、分子和古生物学证据，共同努力解决更高层次的十足类关系。这个国际研究团队，包括首席研究员和合作团队成员，共同发表了关于十足类动物每一个主要谱系的研究成果，包括比较形态学、系统古生物学、分子、形态学（成体和幼虫）、综合数据遗传学分析以及系统理论方面的专业知识。该研究组将收集来自十足类近153个外生科的分子（~20个基因）和形态（~200个性状）数据以及来自全部16个化石科的形态数据。将对数据进行严格分析以估计进化关系。由此产生的亲缘关系将用于检验有关十足类进化和分歧日期的突出假设。分类方案将相应修订。 此外，首席研究员N.Hanegan是一名科学教育家，他将建立大学和学校的合作项目，将教师的有效专业发展与学生的课堂活动结合起来，通过探究式学习，以州生物学内容标准为中心。高中生将参与研究，包括问题开发，数据收集和分析，同时与大学研究人员和其他学校在项目小龙虾网络互动。本科生、研究生和博士后将接受十足类系统学技术的培训。 小龙虾项目将培训来自犹他州和路易斯安那州15所学校的教师，通过体验式学习影响22,500名高中生（少数民族代表性很高）的概念。教育和研究部分都将利用基于网络的研究成果传播，都将努力制作广泛的同行评议的出版物，包括全面的专题修订。

Estimated to contain more than 15,000 species, the decapods are the mostspecies rich and economically important group of Crustacea, includingshrimp, crabs, crayfish, and lobsters. Furthermore, many extant familieshave well-documented fossil records. Accordingly, the decapods have been thesubject of more published papers than have all other crustacean groupscombined, due in part to their species richness, economic importance, andmorphologic diversity. Given the prevalence of decapods in the public andscientific mind, understanding the evolutionary history of this significantcrustacean group is crucial. Five principal investigators, K. Crandall, D.Felder, J. Martin, C. Schweitzer and R. Feldman, will lead an internationalgroup of decapod researchers in a collaborative effort to resolvehigher-level decapod relationships by integrating developmental,morphological, molecular, and paleontological evidence. This internationalresearch team, including both lead investigators and collaborating teammembers, has collectively published on every major lineage of decapods, andincludes expertise in comparative morphology, systematic paleontology,molecular, morphological (adult and larval), and combined data phylogeneticanalysis, as well as systematic theory. This group will collect molecular (~20 genes) and morphological (~200 characters) data from nearly all 153 extantfamilies of decapods and morphological data from all 16 fossil families.Data will be rigorously analyzed to estimate evolutionary relationships.The resulting phylogeny will be used to test outstanding hypothesesconcerning decapod evolution and dates of divergences. Taxonomic schemeswill be accordingly revised. In addition, principal investigator N.Hanegan, a science educator, will establish collaborative university andschool projects to integrate effective professional development for teacherswith classroom activities for students, centered on state biology contentstandards through inquiry-based learning. High school students will beengaged in research including question development, data collection, andanalysis while interacting with university researchers and other schools inthe Project Crawfish network. Undergraduates, graduate students, andpostdoctoral associates will be trained across the spectrum of techniques asapplied to decapod systematics. Project Crawfish will train teachers from15 schools across Utah and Louisiana, impacting 22,500 high school students(with high minority representation) concepts through experiential learning.Both the educational and research components will utilize web-baseddissemination of research results and both will strive to produce extensivepeer-reviewed publications, including comprehensive monographic revisions.