Proposal Number: 1612211
This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2016, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow to take transformative approaches to grand challenges in biology that employ biological collections in highly innovative ways. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Brandon P. Hedrick is "The Evolution of Forelimb Strength in Mammals and Birds." The host institution for this fellowship is the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and the sponsoring scientist is Dr. Elizabeth Dumont.
The Fellow is exploring linkages between functional morphology, ecological niche occupation, and evolutionary diversification in birds and mammals. To accomplish this, the Fellow is examining bone structure and geometry across six evolutionary transitions from weaker forelimbs to more powerful forelimbs in mammals and birds. For example, transitions include those between bats, which have strong forelimbs for flight, and their close relatives, which have relatively weaker forelimbs. Using these data, the Fellow is (1) determining if there are convergences across these transitions, and (2) evaluating whether there are significant increases in rates of speciation associated with these transitions. The occurrence of shifts in speciation rates would demonstrate that the evolution of powerful forelimbs entailed a substantial adaptive advantage. The recurrence of the same morphological changes across each transition would imply that increased forelimb strength is achieved through common, fundamental mechanisms.
The Fellow?s training includes learning micro-computed tomographic (micro-CT) data collection and manipulation, comparative phylogenetic methods, and approaches for evaluation of rates of evolution and speciation. As one goal of the Fellow?s research is to better understand the evolution of bat flight, the Fellow is building bat houses to encourage bat colonization, on grounds maintained by the Hitchcock Center for the Environment, a local conservation center in Amherst, MA. The Fellow employs this method as a means to promote bat welfare, and stimulate interest among both students and members of the local community in conserving and protecting bats. The Fellow is also delivering lectures about his research to the public through multiple venues and to undergraduates at UMass Amherst through university programs and guest lectures. Finally, the Fellow is mentoring undergraduate and graduate students and immersing them in the data collection and analysis portions of this project. The training, outreach and mentoring activities are enhancing the development of the Fellow?s teaching skills as a means of preparing him for a successful career in academia.
