CAREER: Investigating the Role of Modularity in the Diversification of the Acanthomorph Skull

鱼的头骨是一个高度复杂的生物结构。它是高度多功能的，并适应需要在同一时间执行多个任务，包括喂养，传感和通信。在其3亿年的历史中，由于不同的物种使其适应不同的独特环境压力，头骨经历了巨大的变化。在这种多样性中，刺鳍鱼（棘鳍鱼）已经成为最多样化的动物群体之一，占所有脊椎动物物种多样性的25%以上。这个项目将是第一个在适当的解剖学背景下分析头骨形状演变模式的项目。这项研究将促进对复杂结构如何演变的理解。这个项目的结果也将为研究其他复杂生物结构的形状变化提供一个框架。该项目的更广泛影响还包括与圣哈辛托学院合作的海洋生物科学合作社和夏季REU计划。该研究将生成一个大型开源微型ct扫描数据集的汇编，该数据集包含1084种棘形鱼类，同时有助于全球博物馆馆藏的数字化工作。模块化被认为在复杂形态的进化中发挥了关键作用，因为它降低了“复杂性成本”，而“复杂性成本”可以降低性状之间表现出强整合的种群的适应速度。这项研究将促进对复杂结构如何演变以及模块化在这一过程中所起作用的理解。本工作的研究目标是：(1)利用从微计算机断层扫描（micro-CT）数据中收集的三维几何形态测量学来量化1084种棘形鱼的头骨形状进化的速度和模式，(2)测试棘形鱼头骨的进化模块化，(3)测试棘形鱼头骨不同模块之间的进化速度和模式差异。教育部分将包括开发一个实践课程模块，向本科生讲授生物系统的模块化，该模块将生成308个棘形鱼类家族的头骨形态的开放解剖综述。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。

The fish skull is a highly complex biological structure. It is highly multi-functional, and accommodates the need to perform multiple tasks at the same time, including feeding, sensing, and communication. Over its 300-million-year history, the skull has undergone dramatic changes as different species have adapted it to respond to differing and unique environmental pressures. Amongst this diversity, spiny ray-finned fishes (Acanthomorpha) have emerged as one of the most diverse animal groups, representing over 25% of all vertebrate species diversity. This project will be first of its kind to analyze patterns of skull shape evolution in its proper anatomical context. This study will advance the understanding of how complex structures evolve. The results of this project would also provide a framework for study of shape change across other complex biological structures. The broader impacts of this project also feature a Marine Biology Science Co-op and summer REU program in collaboration with San Jacinto College. The study will produce a compilation of a large open source micro-CT scan dataset for 1084 species of acanthomorph fishes while aiding in digitizing efforts for museum collections worldwide.Modularity is thought to play a key role in the evolution of complex morphologies by reducing the “cost of complexity” which can reduce the rate of adaptation in populations that exhibit strong integration between traits. This study will advance the understanding of how complex structures evolve and the role that modularity plays in this process. The research objectives of this work are (1) to quantify the tempo and mode of skull shape evolution across 1084 acanthomorph fish species using three dimensional geometric morphometrics collected from micro-computed-tomography (micro-CT) scan data, (2) test for evolutionary modularity across the acanthomorph skull, and (3) test for differences in the rate and model of evolution across different modules of the acanthomorph fish skull. The education component will consist of the development of a hands-on course module to teach undergraduates about modularity in biological systems that will produce an open-access anatomical review of the skull morphology of 308 families of acanthomorph fishes.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.