REVSYS: Phylogenetic Systematics and the Taxonomic Revision of Sturgeons, (Actinopterygii: Acipenseridae), an Endangered Family of Ray-finned fishes

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。鲟鱼、白鲟和它们的化石亲戚组成了一个小群体，被认为是在鳍状鱼类进化历史的早期从其他鱼类中分离出来的，这个群体包含了大约一半的脊椎动物物种。现存的25种鲟鱼是独特的鱼类，它们的身体上有五排骨板，长长的鼻子和鲨鱼一样的尾巴。这些所谓的活化石遍布北半球，它们中的许多物种很难相互区分，而且大多数这些长寿、高度洄游的鱼类都濒临灭绝或受到威胁。希尔顿和他的合作者迪尔曼将对所有现存和化石鲟鱼物种进行首次进化关系分析，包括形态学（主要是骨骼解剖）和DNA数据。希尔顿、迪尔曼和一个由鲟鱼专家组成的国际小组将根据对自然史收藏标本的新观察，对每种鲟鱼进行详细的分类研究。本研究将建立一种新的中华鲟分类方法，并将用于中华鲟生物学的许多领域，包括发育、进化、保护生物学和渔业管理。本项目将支持和培养形态学和分子进化生物学和分类学方法和技术方面的博士后研究员和博士生各1名。希尔顿积极参与培训本科生和高中生以及公共志愿者的项目，所有这些都将参与到这个项目中。鲟鱼在文化和经济上都是重要的鱼类（例如，它们是鱼子酱的来源），引起了公众的极大兴趣。与这项研究相关的公共宣传活动，包括在地方和地区博物馆和水族馆的展览，将针对所有规模的观众（从地方到全球），并将促进自然历史收藏、系统分类学和分类学在21世纪生物学中继续发挥的关键作用。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Sturgeons, paddlefishes and their fossil relatives form a small group that is thought to have split off from other fishes early in the evolutionary history of ray-finned fishes, the group that contains approximately half of all vertebrate species alive today. The 25 living species of sturgeons are distinctive fishes, with five rows of bony plates along their bodies, elongate snouts, and shark-like tails. Many species of these so-called living fossils, which are found throughout the northern hemisphere, are difficult to distinguish from one another and most of these long-lived, highly migratory fishes are endangered or threatened. Hilton and his collaborator Dillman will conduct the first ever analysis of evolutionary relationships to include both morphological (primarily skeletal anatomy) and DNA data for all living and fossil sturgeon species. Together Hilton, Dillman, and an international team of sturgeon experts will conduct detailed taxonomic studies of every species of sturgeon based on new observations of specimens housed in natural history collections. This study will establish a new taxonomic classification of sturgeons, which will be used in many areas of their biology, including developmental, evolutionary, and conservation biology, and fisheries management.This project will support and train a postdoctoral researcher and a Ph.D. student in the methods and techniques of both morphological and molecular evolutionary biology and taxonomy. Hilton is active in programs focused on training of undergraduate and high school students, and public volunteers, all of which will be involved in this project. Sturgeons are culturally and economically important fishes (e.g., they are the source of caviar) and are of great interest to public audiences. Public outreach activities associated with this research, including displays at local and regional museums and aquaria, will target audiences at all scales (local to global) and will promote the crucial role that natural history collections, systematics, and taxonomy continue to play in 21st century biology.