Collaborative Research: Phylogeny and Classification of Ranid Frogs (Anura, Natanura): Synthesis of Morphology and Molecules

占蛙类物种23%的蛙类在全球范围内正在减少，它们的进化关系仍然知之甚少。该项目将通过汇编代表所有主要谱系的250个物种的11个基因和400个形态特征的DNA序列的数据集，来解决先前狂蛙系统发育研究中的冲突。互补的形态和分子数据集的系统发育分析将解决当代的分析挑战(DNA序列比对、算法选择、优化标准)，同时用新生成的数据重新评估遗留数据。这项分析将对最近的分子假说进行严格、独立的评估，修订后的蛙类科和属分类，并测试关于蛙类的特征进化、生活史、生态学、行为和生物地理的假设。一名博士后研究员将领导该项目，并与四个参与机构的同事合作。一名研究生、九名本科生和六名高中生将接受指导。将举办一次国际研讨会。实地考察工作将在非洲和亚洲进行。一个项目网站将提供研究产品，包括书目、插图、照片、说明、识别码、地图册和术语汇编。数据将在开放的网络存储库中存档。这些资源将促进未来对狂蛙的研究，并帮助生物学家、门外汉和自然资源保护者识别它们。该项目是一个为期10年的努力的一部分，目的是将美国研究收藏中的生物标本相关的科学信息数字化和动员起来。该项目的图像和数字化数据将整合到在线国家资源中，如可在http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/digistratplanfinaldraft.pdf.获得的社区战略计划中所述

Ranid frogs, comprising 23% of frog species, are declining globally, and their evolutionary relationships remain poorly understood. This project will address conflicts in previous phylogenetic studies of ranid frogs by compiling a dataset of DNA sequences for eleven genes and 400 morphological characters, for 250 species, representing all major lineages. Phylogenetic analysis of complementary morphological and molecular datasets will address contemporary analytical challenges (DNA sequence alignment, algorithm choice, optimization criteria), while re-evaluating legacy data with newly generated data. The analysis will provide a rigorous, independent assessment of recent molecular hypotheses, produce a revised classification of ranid frog families and genera, and test hypotheses of character evolution, life history, ecology, behavior and biogeography concerning ranid frogs.A postdoctoral researcher will lead the project and collaborate with colleagues at four participating institutions. One graduate, nine undergraduate, and six high school students will be mentored. An international workshop will be held. Fieldwork will be conducted in Africa and Asia. A project website will host research products, including bibliography, illustrations, photographs, descriptions, identification keys, atlas and glossary of terminology. Data will be archived in open web repositories. These resources will facilitate future studies on ranid frogs and assist biologists, laymen and conservationists to identify them.This project is part of a 10-year effort to digitize and mobilize the scientific information associated with biological specimens held in U.S. research collections. The images and digitized data from this project will be integrated into the online national resource as outlined in the community strategic plan available at http://digbiocol.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/digistratplanfinaldraft.pdf.