Collaborative Research: Phylogenomics of Cypridinidae (Ostracoda): Evolutionary origins of bioluminescence and complex behavioral displays

复杂的性状和行为如何在进化过程中产生和多样化是生物学的一个主要问题。生物发光，即生物体产生的光，存在于许多不同的动物类群中。海洋甲壳类动物是一种像虾一样的小甲壳类动物，它们利用光来躲避捕食者和进行行为展示。在整个加勒比地区已经观察到超过64种生物发光闪光模式，但只有三分之一的物种被收集和科学描述。这项拟议的研究将汇集来自威斯康星州和加利福尼亚州机构的一组合作者，调查加勒比地区生物发光介形虫的多样性，并解决生物发光和复杂行为显示如何在群体中进化。研究将涉及在其职业生涯的多个阶段的学生和教师，数字和形态材料的档案管理员，以及科学教育媒体的成员。这项研究的时机尤其重要，因为集结的研究小组包括两名生物发光介形类的退休专家，他们将参加实地收集和分类研讨会。这项研究的成果将包括一群新训练的本科生和研究生，一个新描述的物种的大型综合数据集，将通过博物馆和在线策展公开分享，在转录组DNA和行为特征的生物信息学分析方面取得进展，以及更好地理解遗传学和复杂性状进化之间的联系。这个合作项目由威斯康辛大学拉克罗斯分校、加州州立大学洛杉矶分校和加州大学圣巴巴拉分校的研究人员组成，他们将使用一系列不同的互补技术来研究塞浦路斯科内部的系统发育关系，以及生物发光和复杂行为表现的进化。具体目标是：1)基于71个不同物种的转录组数据重建一个新的数据丰富的塞浦路斯人的系统发育；2)计算群体内的分化时间和多样化率；3)检验生物发光行为表现与多样化率之间的相关性；4)研究催化光反应的蛋白荧光素酶的分子进化。荧光素酶作为报告基因在分子生物学和医学中被广泛应用，因此了解发光化学物质的生化起源和性质具有重要意义。

How complex traits and behaviors originate and diversify during evolution is a major question in biology. Bioluminescence, the production of light by living organisms, occurs in many different animal taxa. Marine ostracods, tiny shrimp-like crustaceans, use light for both avoiding predators and for behavioral displays. Over 64 bioluminescent flashing patterns have been observed throughout the Caribbean but only one third of the species have been collected and described scientifically. The proposed research will bring together a group of collaborators from institutions in Wisconsin and California to investigate the diversity of bioluminescent ostracods in the Caribbean and address how bioluminescence and complex behavioral displays have evolved within the group. Research will involve students and faculty at multiple stages in their careers, archivists of digital and morphological materials, and members of the science education media. The timing of this research is especially crucial as the assembled team of researchers includes two emeritus experts on bioluminescent ostracods who will participate in field collections and taxonomy workshops. The products of this research will include a diverse group of newly trained undergraduate and graduate students, a large comprehensive data set of newly described species that will be shared publically through museum and online curation, advancement in the bioinformatic analysis of transcriptome DNA and behavioral traits, and a better understanding of the link between genetics and complex trait evolution. This collaborative project by researchers at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, California State University - Los Angeles, and University of California - Santa Barbara will use a diverse set of complimentary techniques to investigate phylogenetic relationships within Cypridinidae and the evolution of bioluminescence and complex behavioral displays. Specific aims are: 1) to reconstruct a new data rich phylogeny of Cypridinidae based on transcriptome datasets from 71 different species, 2) calculate divergence times and diversification rates within the group, 3) test for correlation between bioluminescent behavioral displays and diversification rates, and 4) investigate the molecular evolution of luciferase, the protein that catalyzes the light reaction. Understanding the biochemical origins and properties of luminescent chemicals is important because cypridinid luciferases are widely used as reporter genes in molecular biology and medicine.