DISSERTATION RESEARCH: ' Systematics of rapid radiations: new approaches in the post-genomic age'

在气候快速变化、人类改造环境和全球生物多样性危机的时代，正确识别物种从未像现在这样重要。这项拟议的研究将利用一个新开发的基因组库来开发、测试和应用严格的最新分子数据来确定濒临灭绝的北美淡水龟群的物种边界。地图龟（Graptemys属）目前被认为是美国物种最丰富、濒危的海龟群，已知有12种。这项工作的结果将把基因组数据与新的统计方法结合起来，使我们能够测试这些物种的真实性，并确定自然界中是否存在其他未被识别的物种。拟议的研究在保护、教育和政策方面具有广泛的影响。目前所有已知的龟种都在其部分或全部范围内受到保护，我们的研究将有助于确定它们是否是分化良好的物种，以及哪些是最值得保护的物种。这项研究包括在美国中西部和南部的农村地区进行实地调查，当地学生将参与并培训如何研究当地的保护问题。在政策层面，大多数地图龟出现在公共土地上的河流中，这项研究将帮助土地管理者根据其土地上的保护优先级对这些龟进行排序。

In an era of rapid climate change, human-modified environments, and a world-wide biodiversity crisis, correctly identifying species has never been more critical. This proposed research will utilize a newly-developed genomic library to develop, test, and apply rigorous state of the art molecular data to identify species boundaries in an endangered group of North American freshwater turtles. With 12 recognized species, the map turtles (genus Graptemys) are currently considered the most species-rich, and endangered group of turtles in the United States. The results from this work will combine genomic data with new statistical approaches to allow us to test the reality of these species and to determine whether additional, unrecognized species may exist in nature. The proposed research has broad impacts in conservation, education, and policy. All of the currently recognized species of map turtle are protected in some or all of their ranges, and our research will help determine if they are well differentiated species, and which are the most deserving of protection. This study involves field research in rural parts of the Midwestern and southern US, where local students will be involved and trained how to study local conservation problems. At the policy level, most map turtles occur in rivers on public land, and this research will help land managers rank these turtles in terms of conservation priorities on their lands.