Doctoral Dissertation Research: Investigating taxonomic efficacy of the skeleton in a primate genus

基于骨骼形态(形状)的物种分类通常侧重于头骨(头骨)的特征。然而，研究也开始解决骨骼其他部分的分类信号。这一博士论文项目将使用最先进的3D扫描技术，对密切相关的猕猴物种中的头骨和许多后颅骨元素进行系统的分类评估。猕猴是一个理想的模型系统，因为它们在地理上分布广泛，物种众多，它们占据着广泛的饮食和气候生态位。这些结果将提供新的见解，了解骨骼形态的哪些方面最能反映猕猴的遗传关系，以及哪些骨骼最能反映物种之间的饮食、运动和环境差异。在现存灵长类动物上的发现也将为研究通常无法获得遗传信息的化石物种提供信息。这项研究推进了一位女科学家的职业生涯，研究结果将传播给来自历史上代表性不足的群体的K-12学生。此外，3D模型将用于教育学生不同形态的动物如何适应环境。该项目还将通过博客文章、研讨会和研讨会演示来实现公众宣传。该项目旨在确定从骨骼推断的形态数据是否跟踪遗传距离，从而可以作为物种评估的有用工具。将使用相对似是而非且地理上分布广泛的猕猴的骨骼来检验以下假设：(1)可以根据形态模式准确地预测分类，(2)后颅骨元素可能反映出与头骨相同或更好的分类。数据将包括对8个猕猴物种和3个非猕猴外群体的3D形态测量分析，每个群体都是根据它们不同的遗传、地理和行为联系而被选中的。在骨骼不遵循遗传学预期模式的情况下，将进行额外的统计分析，以测试物种之间的气候、饮食或运动差异在多大程度上驱动骨骼形态。这项研究的结果将包括来自单一灵长类动物的3D骨骼扫描的大型数据集，这些数据集将被公开分享。此外，这些结果将在对现存灵长类物种和已灭绝化石物种的分析之间提供重要的桥梁，这些物种的骨骼形态仅为已知。这一奖项反映了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。

The classification of species based on skeletal morphology (shape) often has been focused on characteristics of the cranium (skull). However, research has also begun to address the taxonomic signal of other parts of the skeleton. This doctoral dissertation project will use state-of-the art 3D scanning technology to provide a systematic taxonomic assessment of the cranium and numerous post-cranial skeletal elements among closely related species of macaques. Macaques are an ideal model system because they are geographically widespread, there are numerous species, and they occupy a wide range of dietary and climatic niches. The results will provide novel insights into which aspects of skeletal morphology best reflect the genetic relationships of macaques, as well as which bones best reflect dietary, locomotor, and environmental differences among species. Findings in extant primates also will inform the study of fossil species where genetic information is typically not available. The research advances the career of a female scientist, and results will be disseminated to K-12 students from historically underrepresented groups. In addition, 3D models will be used to educate students about how animals with different morphologies adapt to their environments. Public outreach also will be achieved through blog posts, workshops, and seminar presentations.This project seeks to determine if morphological data inferred from the skeleton tracks genetic distances, and therefore, can be a useful tool for species assessment. Skeletons of the relatively specious and geographically widespread macaque will be used to test the hypotheses that (1) taxonomy can be accurately predicted based on morphological patterns, and (2) post-cranial elements may reflect taxonomy at the same level, or better than, the skull. Data will consist of 3D morphometric analyses of eight macaque species and three non-macaque out-groups, each chosen for their diverse genetic, geographic and behavioral relatedness. In cases where bones do not follow the pattern expected by genetics, additional statistical analyses will be performed to test the extent to which skeletal morphology is driven by climatic, dietary or locomotor differences between species. The outcomes of this research will include a large dataset of 3D bone scans from a single primate genus, which will be publicly shared. Moreover, the results will provide an important bridge between the analysis of living primate species and extinct fossil species for which only fragmentary skeletal morphology is known.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.