NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2019: Evolution of body shape in carnivoran mammals

这一行动为NSF 2019财年生物学博士后研究奖学金-使用生物收藏进行研究-提供资金。该奖学金支持将以创新方式利用生物收藏的研究员的研究和培训。哺乳动物的形状千差万别，从健壮的坦克状大象到细长的啮齿动物。是什么导致了这一系列的体型呢？为什么一些密切相关的物种(例如老鼠和大鼠)表现出相似的身体形状，而另一些物种属于成员几乎不相似的群体(例如大象和海牛)？可以确定导致哺乳动物体型如此多样化的统一进化或生态模式吗？这些模式是否导致了我们在灵长类动物甚至人类谱系中观察到的重大转变？为了回答这些问题，该项目将组装一个数据库，记录哺乳动物的体型，并测试有关体型的生态和进化以及促成不同体型计划的潜在形式的问题。这位研究员还将在美国自然历史博物馆工作，展示哺乳动物身体形态的巨大多样性。了解表型变异的主要模式和适应意义是进化生物学的中心目标。在脊椎动物中，体型多样性是表型变异最显著的特征之一，这可以导致增加多样性、生态位专业化和在一个支系内进行创新。然而，生物学家们仍然缺乏对导致身体形状多样性的潜在形态成分的充分了解，特别是在吸热型脊椎动物中，如哺乳动物。因此，人们对哺乳动物体型的形态、生态学和进化以及促成不同体型的潜在特征知之甚少。这项研究将检验与颅骨、轴向和附件部分的进化整合有关的假说，这些成分有助于身体形状的多样性，以及身体形状的适应性意义。为了实现这些目标，这项研究将利用自然历史博物馆保存的骨骼标本建立第一个哺乳动物身体形状的量化数据库，并检验以下假设：1)导致肉食性动物身体形状多样性的骨骼成分在进化上是整合的，H2)哺乳动物身体形状和肢体长度之间的关系遵循与外温脊椎动物相似的趋势，以及H3)运动和饮食生态影响肉食性动物身体形状的进化。这位研究员还将与美国自然历史博物馆合作，展示哺乳动物颅骨、轴骨和附件骨骼的巨大多样性及其对哺乳动物多样性和差异性的贡献。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2019, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will utilize biological collections in innovative ways. Mammals vary by a magnitude of shapes from robust tank-like elephants to elongate rodents. What contributes to this range of body shapes? Why do some closely related species exhibit similar body shapes (e.g. mice and rats) whereas others belong to groups with members that hardly resemble one another (e.g. elephants and manatees)? Can unifying evolutionary or ecological patterns that led to this diversity in mammalian body shapes be identified? And could these patterns have led to the major transitions that we observe in primates and even human lineages? To answer these questions, this project will assemble a database that records body shapes in mammals and test questions about the ecology and evolution of body shapes and the underlying forms that contribute to diverse body plans. The fellow will also work the American Museum of Natural History to showcase the great diversity of mammalian body forms.Understanding the major patterns and adaptive significance of phenotypic variation is a central goal of evolutionary biology. In vertebrates, body shape diversity is one of the most prominent features of phenotypic variation that can lead to increased diversification, niche specialization, and innovations within a clade. However, biologists still lack a full understanding of the underlying morphological components that contribute to body shape diversity, particularly in endothermic vertebrates such as mammals. Consequently, little is known about the morphology, ecology, and evolution of mammalian body shapes as well as the underlying traits that contribute to different body plans. This research will test hypotheses pertaining to the evolutionary integration of the cranial, axial, and appendicular components that contribute to body shape diversity, and the adaptive significance of body shapes. To accomplish these goals, this research will generate the first quantitative database of mammalian body shapes using skeletal specimens held at natural history museums and test the following hypotheses: H1) skeletal components contributing to body shape diversity in carnivorans are evolutionarily integrated, H2) the relationship between body shape and limb length in mammals follows a similar trend as ectothermic vertebrates, and H3) locomotor and dietary ecologies influence the evolution of carnivoran body shapes. The fellow will also work the American Museum of Natural History to showcase the great diversity of mammalian cranial, axial, and appendicular skeletons and their contributions towards generating diversity and disparity in mammals.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.