9700713 Harrison This award will provide funds for travel and for materials and supplies to enhance the dissertation research of Mr. Scott E. Stanley, a doctoral student at Cornell University who is working under the supervision of Dr. Richard Harrison. Mr. Stanley's dissertation research involves acquisition of DNA sequences from both mitochondrial and nuclear genomes in order to study phylogenetic relationships among higher orders of birds and among families of pelecaniform birds. Pelecaniforms include pelicans, cormorants, boobies, frigate birds, and tropic birds. The phylogenetics of orders of birds are controversial, particularly those between orders of large water birds, including pelecaniforms, procellariiforms (tube-nosed seabirds), gaviiformes (loons), podicipediformes (grebes), and sphenisciforms (penguins). The work by Stanley and Harrison will address many of the more long-standing taxonomic/phylogenetic issues, and in addition, test the performance of the mitochondrial and nuclear eenes with respect to phylogenetic reconstruction. Generation of such a large molecular data set also will provide an historical framework within which hypotheses concerning early avian evolution and morphological and behavioral evolution in birds can be tested rigorously. Support for training of graduate students in modern technologies is critical to maintain the workforce of scientists capable of addressing questions and issues in global biology.
