| 项目编号: | 1556255
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| 项目名称: | RUI: Collaborative Research: Survey and Analysis of the Angolan Herpetofauna |
| 作者: | Aaron Bauer
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| 承担单位: | Villanova University
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| 批准年: | 2016
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| 开始日期: | 2016-06-01
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| 结束日期: | 2019-05-31
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| 资助金额: | 312687
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| 资助来源: | US-NSF
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| 项目类别: | Standard Grant
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| 国家: | US
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| 语种: | 英语
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| 特色学科分类: | Biological Sciences - Environmental Biology
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| 英文关键词: | angolan herpetofauna
; analysis
; species
; molecular systematic analysis
; survey effort
; angola
; angolan highland
|
| 英文摘要: | Angola is among the largest countries in Africa, and its landscapes vary from arid desert to equatorial rainforest. This landscape diversity results in high, but poorly documented, levels of biodiversity in many groups, including amphibians and reptiles. This project will increase understanding of the diversity and evolution of Angola's amphibians and reptiles by analyzing species' distributions, abundances, genetics, and anatomy. Based on these data, undocumented species will be identified, characterized and formally described. Two major hypotheses will be tested: whether arid-adapted species of S.W. Angola are descended from East African ancestors that migrated during periods of dry climate, and whether species restricted to the Angolan highlands are ancient descendants of formerly widespread ancestors. Researchers will also test how climate factors affect the degree to which malaria-causing parasites specialize on particular lizard species. This project will also train students in field and laboratory methods, as well as data dissemination and analysis. Public outreach efforts will include development of short video documentaries and English- and Portuguese-language guides to Angola's amphibians and reptiles.
Surveys of the Angolan herpetofauna will be informed by current knowledge gained from the less than 8,000 specimens that currently exist in museums worldwide. A total of six expeditions throughout Angola will be undertaken over a period of three years, with each focusing on a region identified as poorly sampled based on the provenance of extant museum specimens or as key sampling areas for addressing taxonomic problems. Specimens obtained in survey efforts will be subjected to collection and analysis of ecological, genetic, and morphological data. Molecular systematic analyses of the genetic data will identify cryptic species and targeted high-throughput sequencing will be used to test biogeographic hypotheses. Morphological data collection will include external morphological examination as well as high-resolution CT scanning to identify diagnostic internal anatomical features of species under study. Ecological niche modeling of species' ranges will be used to explore patterns of faunal turnover and identify conservation priorities. All biodiversity data generated in the course of the project, including point localities, DNA sequences, and CT scans, will be made available to the broader scientific community. Results of the research will be disseminated in numerous publications focused on taxonomic revision, biogeography, morphological diversity, and/or parasite evolutionary ecology of the Angolan herpetofauna. |
| 资源类型: | 项目
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| 标识符: | http://119.78.100.158/handle/2HF3EXSE/92304
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| Appears in Collections: | 全球变化的国际研究计划
科学计划与规划
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| Recommended Citation: | |
Aaron Bauer. RUI: Collaborative Research: Survey and Analysis of the Angolan Herpetofauna. 2016-01-01.
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