The role of the Antarctic for the origin and global distribution of sea spiders (Pycnogonida) with a focus on the family Colossendeidae

该项目的目标是研究巨蛛科海蜘蛛（Pycnogonida）的进化和地理历史，特别是南大洋物种。这一海洋底栖动物群体中南极特有物种的比例特别高。长跗类主要分布在南大洋，但也有一些种类分布在其他地区。因此，这一群体可能是南极辐射，其中一个强大的进化多样化后，南极殖民化。为了回答这些问题，需要对相关物种的大约40个代表性物种的数百个遗传基因座进行测序。通过比较已测序的密殖子基因组，将确定保守区域，并将基于它们设计探针。将南极和非南极的南极拟步行虫的DNA与这些探针杂交，由此获得的基因组区域将通过下一代方法进行测序。根据这些结果，将重建系统发育树，并对该组的分布历史进行不同的情景测试。此外，还将对不同环境条件下的不同选择模式进行试验。

The goal of this project is to study the evolutionary and biogeographic history of sea spiders (Pycnogonida) of the family Colossendeidae, especially the Southern Ocean species. This marine benthic animal group shows an especially high proportion of endemic Antarctic species. The "longitarsal" group within the Colossendeidae is distributed mostly in the Southern Ocean, but some species within it occur in other regions. Therefore, this group could be an Antarctic radiation, in which a strong evolutionary diversification took place after colonization of the Antarctic. To answer these questions, several hundreds of genetic loci shall be sequenced for about 40 representatives of the relevant species. By comparing the already sequenced pycnogonid genomes, conserved regions will be identified and probes will be designed based on them. The DNA of Antarctic and non-Antarctic colossendeids shall be hybridized with these probes and the genome regions obtained by this will be sequenced by next-generation methods. From these results, phylogenetic trees will be reconstructed and different scenarios on the distribution history of the group will be tested. Besides, tests for diverging patterns of selection under different environmental conditions will be conducted.