Phylogeny and diversification in the uniquely diverse beetle family Curculionidae (true weevils)

由于缺乏一个可靠的谱系非常多样化的甲虫科象甲（真象甲），阻碍了象甲的分类，系统和应用研究。本计画将透过分析基因组与形态（解剖）资料，重建象鼻虫科的系谱，并建立象鼻虫多样化的时间表。收集的基因组数据将包括来自1,000个物种的DNA序列，这些物种代表了所有主要的象鼻虫群体，这些数据是通过一种称为锚定基因组学的方法获得的。这将是这种新方法在收集昆虫基因组数据方面的首批应用之一。胡蜂科包含51,000个已命名的物种，是地球上最大的动物家族之一。由于它们与植物和真菌的密切且通常高度专业化的相互作用，灰蝶科是全球农业和林业最重要的害虫之一，也是地球上最丰富的昆虫之一。该项目将首次阐明所有主要象鼻虫群体的相互关系。由此产生的家谱将被用来测试长期存在的假设象鼻虫的关系和进化，并将有助于解决的分类学问题，既弥漫在内部更高的象鼻虫分类和阻碍经济和生态重要的象鼻虫物种的研究。

The lack of a reliable family tree for the extraordinarily diverse beetle family Curculionidae (true weevils) has impeded taxonomic, systematic and applied research on weevils. This project will reconstruct the family tree of Curculionidae and establish a timeframe for weevil diversification by analyzing genomic and morphological (anatomical) data. The genomic data gathered will consist of DNA sequences from 1,000 species representing all major groups of weevils, obtained via an approach called anchored phylogenomics. This will be one of the first applications of this new method for gathering phylogenomic data in insects.Curculionidae contains 51,000 named species and is one of the largest families of animals on Earth. Because of their intimate and often highly specialized interactions with plants and fungi, Curculionidae are among the most significant pests of agriculture and forestry worldwide, and some of the most abundant insects on Earth. This project will clarify the interrelationships of all major groups of weevils for the first time. The resulting family trees will be used to test long-standing hypotheses about weevil relationships and evolution, and will contribute to resolving the taxonomic problems that both pervade the internal higher classification of weevils and impede research on economically and ecologically important weevil species.