Collaborative Research: Digitization PEN: BatPEN!—A Partnership to Facilitate Scientific Inquiry into the Vast Functional Trait Diversity of Phyllostomid Bats

通过多样化的过程，今天存在的生物比生命历史上任何其他时期都多。然而，这种生物多样性在空间、时间或整个生命之树上并不是均匀分布的。了解表型性状的变异性分类群提供的信息，是有价值的回答一些最基本的问题，在生物学，如，什么决定了形式和功能之间的关系，不同的表型如何促进社区之间的共存，或如何进化的表型特征影响了生物多样性的水平今天展出？表型性状的变异是理解生态学、进化论和系统分类学的基础。与oVert TCN合作，BatPEN！该项目将调动新热带蝙蝠科Phyllostomidae的高分辨率表型功能性状数据。蝙蝠侠的目标！是增加可用的功能性状数据的丰富性，创建科学基础设施，并促进对哺乳动物最多样化的家庭水平分支的科学调查。此外，该项目将推动新的STEM培训机会，并实现生态学和进化生物学的主要研究途径。蝙蝠笔！将生成大约1000个高分辨率的计算机断层扫描（CT）扫描整个博物馆标本，以填补214个叶口虫物种的代表性，目的是充分补充oVert的每个属一个物种的分类覆盖范围。这也将增加额外的新的覆盖面oVert在两个方面，首先通过包括更深的种内覆盖的5个分类群，遗传上跨越较高水平的单系亚支的Phyllostomidae的基础上10个人从每个分布在新热带区的10个不同的网站，第二，通过扫描个体发育系列从三个物种表现出三种不同程度的性二型性。通过遵守oVert-TCN的核心数据管理协议，包括在MorphoSource（morphosource.org）上托管开放的表型数据，并通过iDigBio（idigbio.org）将这些数据无缝链接回原始标本和其他生物来源的资源，将立即产生教育和研究影响。蝙蝠笔！将通过不仅提供数字化数据流，而且通过培训下一代博物馆科学家，促进基于博物馆的科学基础设施。蝙蝠笔！将设在一个西班牙裔服务机构，并将确保在干代表性不足的群体的直接参与。该项目将吸引来自得克萨斯理工大学的种族多样化的人口本科生，以协助与蝙蝠PEN相关的研究！STEM教育与研究整合中心（Center for the Integration of STEM Education and Research，CISER）在与博物馆科学和遗产研究生计划在得克萨斯理工大学的合作，博物馆科学的学生将在策展/收藏活动的培训，以促进下一代的收藏为基础的研究人员和教育工作者。此外，还将提供一个正式的课程，名为“脊椎动物治疗技术”，这将提供一个实际操作的方法，以策展和收集活动。这个奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并已被认为是值得通过评估使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准的支持。

Through the process of diversification, more organisms exist today than at any other time during the history of life. However, this biodiversity is not evenly distributed through space, time, or across the tree of life. Understanding phenotypic trait variability across taxa provides information that is valuable for answering some of the most fundamental questions in biology such as, what determines the relationship between form and function, how do different phenotypes facilitate coexistence across communities, or how has the evolution of phenotypic characteristics influenced the levels of biodiversity exhibited today? Variation in phenotypic traits forms the bedrock of understanding in much of ecology, evolution, and systematics. In partnership with the oVert TCN, the BatPEN! project will mobilize high-resolution phenotypic functional-trait data from the Neotropical bat family Phyllostomidae. The aim of BatPEN! is to increase the abundance of available functional trait data, create scientific infrastructure, and facilitate scientific inquiry into the most diverse family-level clade of mammals. Moreover, the project will fuel novel STEM training opportunities and enable major research avenues in ecology and evolutionary biology. BatPEN! will generate about 1000 high-resolution computerized tomography (CT) scans of entire museum specimens to fill in representation of the 214 phyllostomid species with the aim to substantially compliment the one species per genus taxonomic coverage of oVert. This will also add additional novel coverage to oVert in two ways, first by including deeper intraspecific coverage of 5 taxa that phylogenetically span the higher-level monophyletic subclades of Phyllostomidae based on 10 individuals from each of 10 different sites distributed across the Neotropics, and second, by scanning ontogenetic series from three species exhibiting three different degrees of sexual dimorphism. Immediate educational and research impacts will occur by adherence to core data management protocols of the oVert-TCN, including hosting open phenotypic data on MorphoSource (morphosource.org) and seamlessly linking these data back to original specimens and other specimen-derived resources via iDigBio (idigbio.org). BatPEN! will facilitate museum-based scientific infrastructure through not just making digitized data streams available but by training the next generation of museum scientists. BatPEN! will be based at a Hispanic serving institution and will ensure direct involvement of under-represented groups in STEM. The project will draw undergraduates from Texas Tech’s ethnically diverse population to assist with research related to BatPEN! through the Center for the Integration of Stem Education and Research (CISER). In cooperation with the Museum Science and Heritage Graduate Program at Texas Tech, museum science students will be trained in curational/collections activities to contribute to the next generation of collection-based researchers and educators. In addition, a formal course will be offered entitled “Vertebrate Curational Techniques,” which will provide a hands-on approach to curation and collection activity.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.