This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2020, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports research and training of the fellow that will utilize biological collections in innovative ways. Jawed annelids, a diverse and ancient group which includes the famous “sand-striker†worm, play important roles as predators, prey, and scavengers in the ocean. The classification of these worms is based on their jaw structures. However, jaw and tooth structures are often similar in unrelated animals with similar diets. The goal of this project is to determine whether diet or relatedness better predicts jaw structure in annelids. The project uses DNA sequencing and CT scanning of museum specimens to trace the evolution of jaw shape in annelids over time. Jaw function will be studied using video observations of jaw motion in live worms. This research advances scientific knowledge by linking jaw shape with function in an understudied group of animals and will provide a basis for predicting ecosystem function in both living and extinct marine communities. The videos and 3D models generated during this project will be published online as educational resources for K-12 and university instructors. These resources will also be included in a public exhibit on marine worms at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab Estuarium, and at outreach events.
This project integrates studies of morphology and function in a phylogenetic context to test specific hypotheses concerning morphological convergence and function in eunicidan (Annelida) jaw structures. A targeted exon capture approach will be used to generate a new phylogeny of Eunicida with broad taxon and gene sampling from museum specimens. The jaw elements and associated musculature of the specimens will be imaged using microCT. Morphological characters will be measured and coded from 3D reconstructions. Phylogenetic comparative methods will be used to reconstruct ancestral states and identify morphological convergences. Jaw morphology will be related to function through observation of the movements of jaw elements in living representatives. Integrating morphology with kinematics will provide a better understanding of the functional basis of morphological convergences in annelid jaw structures. Assessing the homology of jaw structures will also provide a basis for re-evaluating the utility of morphological characters used in Eunicidan systematics. This research will be conducted at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and utilizes the extensive specimen collections and imaging resources at the Florida Museum of Natural History. This project will provide interdisciplinary training in phylogenetics, morphology, kinematics, and behavior and broaden the fellow's skill set for conducting integrative collections-based research as a museum scientist. The project will also include undergraduate training in kinematic research on invertebrates.
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.
