Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolution of Skull Mechanisms in Perciform Coral Reef Fishes

在Mark Westneat博士的指导下，向菲尔德自然历史博物馆授予了一笔赠款，用于研究珊瑚礁鱼类的进化、多样性群落及其骨骼结构。珊瑚礁是海洋生物多样性的中心，数百万物种共存。珊瑚鱼是这些栖息地动物生活的主要组成部分，无论是物种数量、经济资源，还是活生生的珊瑚礁丰富多彩、动人的美。描述这些鱼随时间的多样性的珊瑚鱼进化树，或系统发育史，在很大程度上还没有解决。此外，对于珊瑚礁复杂的生态系统中，珊瑚鱼的觅食、生存和共存方式，我们还有很多需要了解的地方。这个项目结合了新的DNA信息来研究大群珊瑚礁鱼类的进化树，并研究了鱼类物种如何觅食，以探索地球上最多样化的物种辐射之一的进化。这项拨款的主要目的是了解珊瑚礁生物多样性的进化，为此，我们需要数百个物种的DNA数据。通过使用线粒体和核基因的组合，包括在胚胎发育中发挥作用的基因(总共有10个不同的基因)，该项目将分析总共648种鱼类，以了解它们的系统发育历史，并利用这一系统树来探索珊瑚礁鱼类的进化模式。该提案的第二个目标是将鱼类头骨的系统发育研究与工程特征相结合，以揭示进化生物力学的模式。颅骨功能的工程模型将颅骨解剖的变化与咬合力、张口速度和下巴突出等摄食机制联系起来，使我们更好地了解动物在珊瑚礁栖息地的功能。对于更广泛的受众，这个项目为博物馆收藏、教育和展览做出了贡献。学院、研究生和博士后水平的学生参与了拟议研究的所有方面，包括排序、分析和陈述。目前正在与来自奥地利、澳大利亚、智利、肯尼亚、马达加斯加、新西兰、菲律宾和泰国的人们进行国际合作。菲尔德博物馆的一个新的博物馆展览突出了这里提出的基因研究。这项研究将通过芝加哥菲尔德博物馆生物多样性合成中心协调的举措纳入新的生命百科全书项目。

A grant has been awarded to the Field Museum of Natural History under the direction of Dr. Mark Westneat to study the evolution the diverse community of coral reef fishes and their skeletal structure. Coral reefs are centers of marine biodiversity where millions of species coexist. Reef fishes are a major component of the animal life in these habitats in terms of species number, economic resources, and the colorful, moving beauty of a living reef. The reef fish evolutionary tree, or phylogenetic history, depicting the diversification of these fish over time is largely unresolved. In addition, there is much that we have to learn about the way reef fishes feed, survive and coexist in the complex ecology of coral reefs. This project combines novel DNA information to examine the evolutionary tree of large groups of coral reef fishes with studies of how fish species feed to explore evolution in one of the most diverse species radiations on Earth.The main objective of this grant is to understand the evolution of coral reef biodiversity, and to do that we need DNA data on hundreds of species. By using a combination of mitochondrial and nuclear genes, including genes that play a role in embryological development (for a total of 10 different genes), this project will analyze a total of 648 species of fishes to understand their phylogenetic history and use this family tree to explore evolutionary patterns in reef fishes. The second objective of the proposal is to combine phylogenetic research with engineering features of fish skulls to reveal patterns of evolutionary biomechanics. Engineering models of skull function link the variation in skull anatomy to feeding mechanics such as bite force, gape speed, and jaw protrusion, giving us a better understanding of how animals function in the reef habitat. For a broader audience, this project contributes to museum collections, education, and exhibits. Students at the college, graduate, and postdoctoral levels are involved with all aspects of the proposed research, including sequencing, analysis, and presentation. International collaborations are underway with people from Austria, Australia, Chile, Kenya, Madagascar, New Zealand, The Philippines, and Thailand. A new museum exhibit at the Field Museum highlights the genetic research proposed here. This research will be incorporated into the new Encyclopedia of Life project through initiatives coordinated by the Biodiversity Synthesis Center at the Field Museum in Chicago.