Taxonomic, Phylogenetic, and Evolutionary Studies of Horse flies (Diptera:Tabanidae): An Integrated Approach to Systematics Training

马蝇（双翅目：虻科）的分类学、系统发育和进化研究：系统学训练的综合方法

• 批准号: 0731528
• 负责人: Brian Wiegmann
• 金额: $ 74.25万
• 依托单位: North Carolina State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2007
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2007-09-01 至 2013-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0731528&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Taxonomic; Phylogenetic; Evolutionary; Studies; Horse

The fly family Tabanidae (horse flies) includes an estimated 4000 extant species distributed throughout the world. Nearly all are blood-feeders as adults, but many are also important pollinators of flowers. The biology and taxonomy of horse flies has an important historical legacy, but modern revisionary work has lagged behind other dipteran groups due to a generational reduction in the number of horse fly taxonomists and to a perceived "difficult" morphology, which is often similar for many standard fly characters. Current classifications are heavily biased by previous work on better known fly groups, while many smaller groups need to be addressed to provide context and new characters from which more comprehensive phylogenetic revision can proceed. This study will integrate modern tools and practices in taxonomy and systematics to address the need for increased attention to horse fly biodiversity and classification. The research team extends a successful collaborative framework with expertise in monographic, phylogenetic, and bioinformatic data generation, and builds on active efforts initiated by previous Partnership for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy (PEET) projects.This project will foster collaboration in laboratory and field studies between faculty and students from Australia and the US. The results of the work will be made available to scientists and the general public via a database and web site directly associated with the project, as well as the integration of taxonomic tools and a project database. Projects are designed to encourage both mentorship and collaboration amongst the student trainees. In addition to their taxonomic work, each trainee will be asked to specialize in one of three general areas: bioinformatics techniques, computational/analytical techniques, or outreach methods. As they develop in these areas, they will be expected to mentor each other in their chosen expertise and to produce products that are disseminated through the projects web portals. The project involves a strong component of academic training for postdoctoral associates, graduate, and undergraduate students. In addition, there is a comprehensive program of outreach, including educational material that will be presented via the project web site and several other online resources for undergraduate and K-12 levels produced by the collaborating universities and through the Education and Outreach resources of the National Evolutionary Synthesis Center.

Fly Family Tabanidae（马蝇）包括大约4000种现存的物种，分布在世界范围内。几乎所有人都是成年人的血液进食者，但许多也是鲜花的重要传粉媒介。马蝇的生物学和分类学具有重要的历史遗产，但是由于马匹苍蝇分类学家的数量减少和一种感知的“困难”形态，现代的修订工作落后于其他双翅目群体，这对于许多标准的苍蝇角色通常相似。当前的分类对以前知名的蝇类的工作严重偏见，而需要解决许多较小的小组，以提供上下文和新的角色，从而可以从中进行更全面的系统发育修订。这项研究将整合分类学和系统学上的现代工具和实践，以满足增加对马匹生物多样性和分类的关注的需求。研究小组扩展了一个成功的合作框架，具有专业知识，在专业，系统发育和生物信息学数据生成方面，并建立在先前合作伙伴关系的积极努力的基础上，以增强分类法（PEET）项目的专业知识（PEET）项目。该项目将促进澳大利亚和学生之间实验室和现场研究的合作。这项工作的结果将通过与项目直接相关的数据库和网站以及分类工具和项目数据库的集成提供给科学家和公众。项目旨在鼓励学生学员之间的指导和协作。除分类工作外，还将要求每个学员专门研究三个一般领域之一：生物信息学技术，计算/分析技术或外展方法。随着他们在这些领域的发展，他们将有望在自己选择的专业知识中相互指导，并生产通过项目网站传播的产品。该项目涉及对博士后同事，研究生和本科生的学术培训的强大组成部分。此外，还有一项全面的外展计划，包括通过项目网站提供的教育材料以及合作大学合作和通过国家进化合成中心的教育和外展资源生产的本科和K-12水平的其他几种在线资源。