NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2018

该奖项支持美国国家科学基金会（NSF） 2018财年生物学博士后研究奖学金，“利用生物馆藏进行研究”。该奖学金支持研究和培训将以创新的方式利用生物收集的研究员。对鱼类的惊人成功的解释是复杂的，必须考虑到许多因素。为了推进这一领域，该项目调查了已经灭绝的和现存的河豚鱼、箱鲀、扳机鱼、海洋太阳鱼以及被称为四齿形动物的盟友，这些物种包括鱼类生命树中一些最极端的体型。这些身体类型的范围从近方形到球形，球体到横向压缩。四齿兽拥有迄今为止已知的最小的脊椎动物基因组，也是鱼类中最著名和研究最充分的化石记录之一。最近的证据表明，这一群体的多样化动态（物种形成和灭绝）与古新世始新世热极大期（约50 Ma）有关。然而，这一事件或其他古气候变化是如何随着时间的推移影响它们的体型进化的，目前还不得而知。该项目将综合所有物种的四齿兽系统发育，通过使用3D形态计量学和利用生物收集的体型多样性来量化形态进化。它将描述与四齿兽体型变化相关的候选基因的进化，并使用比较方法来测试形态进化如何促进四齿兽鱼类多样化。除了科学研究之外，这些资金还被用于社区驱动的科学研究、学生培训和公众宣传。培训和指导来自代表性不足的少数民族的本科生和研究生是本项目活动的核心目标。拓展活动包括通过探索姐妹科学项目参与芝加哥弱势青年的长期项目，并在芝加哥大学现有的项目中进行讲座，如“周六科学家”和她们活跃的“女性参与科学”项目。该项目还将通过各种社交平台和科学会议传播有关鱼类多样性的知识。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award supports an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2018, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will utilize biological collections in innovative ways. Explanations for the spectacular success of fish are complex and must account for many factors. To advance this field, this project investigates extinct and living species of pufferfishes, boxfishes, triggerfishes, ocean sunfishes, and allies called tetraodontiforms that include some of the most extreme body shapes in the Fish Tree of Life. These body types range from nearly square to globose, and spheroid to laterally compressed. Tetraodontiforms harbor the smallest vertebrate genomes known to date and one the best-known and well-studied fossil records among fishes. Recent evidence suggests that diversification dynamics (speciation and extinction) in this group are linked to a period known as the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (ca. 50 Ma). It is still unknown, however, how this event or other paleoclimate changes affected their body shape evolution over time.This project will synthesize a comprehensive, all species, tetraodontiforms phylogeny, by quantifying morphological evolution using 3D morphometrics and body size diversity by leveraging biological collections. It will characterize the evolution of candidate genes associated with body size change in tetraodontiforms, and use comparative methods to test how morphological evolution contributes to tetraodontiform fish diversification. Aside from scientific endeavors, these funds are also being used to contribute to community-driven scientific efforts, student training, and public outreach. Training and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate student from underrepresented minorities constitute a core goal of the activities of the project. Outreach activities include the participation in a long-term program for Chicago disadvantaged youths through the Project Exploration Sisters4Science Program, and lectures at existing programs at the University of Chicago, such as Saturday Scientist and their active Women In Science programs. This project will also broadcast knowledge on fish diversity through a variety of social platforms and at scientific meetings.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.