Fischer
|
Florez
|
Furness
|
Harrower
|
Herrera
|
Kemp |
Lagomarsino
|
Linzmeier
Marquardt
|
Marroquin |
Pilaar
|
Rhodes
|
Silva
|
Wicaksono
Session
Dates
27 May 2007 - 3 August 2007
|
- Gender:
Female
- Citizenship:
US
- Ethnicity:
- Institution:
Northwestern University
- Status:
Sophomore
- Major:
Integrated Science, Geology
Career
Goals:
Sponsor:
Bill and Jean Lane Endowment
|
Rebecca
Fischer
Ms. Fischer is currently a sophomore at Northwestern
University in Evanston, Illinois, double majoring
in Integrated Science and Geology. After graduatation
she plans to attend graduate school and pursue
a career in research science and teaching.
On
the personal side: I grew up in Rockville,
MD, and living so close to DC led me to spend
a lot of time at the Natural History Museum
growing up. I love all areas of science, so
it had been really hard for me to choose a major.
Taking a course in geology as part of the Integrated
Science Program at Northwestern made me realize
that earth science encompasses all of my favorite
aspects of the other sciences, and I was finally
able to make up my mind. I am excited to explore
different topics and opportunities within the
general field of geology. My current interests
are pretty broad but include mineralogy and
seismology, and I am looking forward to conducting
research in a mineral physics lab on campus
in the fall.
In
my free time, I play in an intramural Frisbee
league, and I am the president of Northwestern's
quizbowl team. I am a co-founder and executive
director of a small business, DACQ, selling
practice quizbowl questions to high school teams.
I like to paint and make woodcuts, and I play
several instruments, including piano, handbells,
guitar, tuba, and xylophone. I am also currently
training for the Chicago Marathon this fall.
PROJECT
TITLE:
Water and Carbon Dioxide
as Oxidizers in the Earth’s Mantle
PROJECT
HYPOTHESIS:
The presence and speciation of water and carbon
dioxide in melt inclusions contributed to the
oxidation of the iron present in the sample.
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
We will be studying melt inclusions, small sections
of mantle melts that are trapped in growing
crystals. These crystals then make their way
to the Earth’s surface through volcanoes,
but under ideal conditions they preserve the
chemical conditions under which they formed,
allowing us to study processes occurring deep
in the Earth’s interior. We will produce
experimental standards for comparison with our
natural samples by generating glasses with known
iron oxidation states. We will then sort through
olivine crystals in volcanic glasses to find
melt inclusions, and polish the crystals to
expose the melt. Our samples will be analyzed
using x-rays to determine the iron oxidation
states present, FTIR to study the amounts and
speciation of water and carbon dioxide in the
samples, and EMP to look at the effects of diffusion
in the crystal surrounding the melts.
PROJECT
SUMMARY: At some unknown
point during the evolution of the Earth, the
rocky mantle oxidized around the Earth’s
metallic core. The mechanisms involved in this
process are not fully understood, but this project
will investigate several possible factors. Water
and carbon dioxide are brought into the mantle
by subducting oceanic crust. Water is a powerful
oxidizing agent and may be contributing to the
underlying oxidation. By furthering our knowledge
of this process, we will learn more about how
the Earth formed, how it evolved to become capable
of supporting life, and what thermal and chemical
processes are occurring in the Earth’s
mantle, especially those occurring near volcanic
arcs.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS:
-
Gas-mixing furnace to produce a new glass standard
-
Mossbauer spectroscopy to determine iron oxidation
states in standards
-
Volcanic glasses from the NMNH collections to
find samples
-
Sample preparation equipment in the department
of Mineral Sciences
-
X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES)
technique at the National Synchrotron Light
Source to determine iron oxidation states
-
Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
to analyze speciation of water and carbon dioxide
-
Electron microprobe (EMP) to investigate diffusion
of trace elements
RESEARCH
ADVISOR:
Elizabeth Cottrell
COTTRELL,
Elizabeth. Associate
Curator / Research Geologist. Education: B.S.
(1997) Brown University, Ph.D. (2004) Columbia
University. Research specialties: Differentiation
of planetary bodies, experimental geochemistry
and petrology, volcanology. More
research links. Science Unit: Department
of Mineral Sciences.
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- Gender:
Female
- Citizenship:
Colombian
- Ethnicity:
- Institution:
Universidad de Los Andes
- Status:
Junior
- Major:
Biology, Chemistry
Career
Goals:
Sponsor:
Bill and Jean Lane Endowment
|
Laura
Florez
Ms. Flórez is from Bogotá, Colombia.
She is currently a Junior at the Universidad
de Los Andes, in Bogotá where she's pursuing
a degree in in Biology and Chemistry. She has
special interests in molecular biology and its
application to Evolution and Ecology. After
earning her undergraduate degree she plans to
attend a post-graduate program in Biology and
Chemistry in either the United States or Germany.
On
the personal side: I am really enthusiastic
towards science and research. I have had an
interest in molecular biology for a long time,
as well as for topics in microbiology such as
viruses and prions. In the last few years I
have discovered my keenness for natural life
in a more direct manner. Moreover, I find it
fascinating to work with this in combination
with molecular techniques. I like birds and
amphibians. Perhaps the fact that my country
provides exceptional conditions to be in contact
with these animals has enhanced my interest.
I have recently begun working in a Vertebrate
Zoology lab at Los Andes as an assistant, where
I have had a close look at research projects
related to bird phylogeography and speciation
in Central and Southamerica.
PROJECT
TITLE:
DNA Barcoding of Pheidole nominal species and
morphospecies from Guyana leaf-litter biodiversity
surveys.
PROJECT
HYPOTHESIS:
DNA Barcoding is useful for distinguishing Pheidole
nominal species and morphospecies described
from leaf-litter samples taken in South America
and for associating major and minor workers
from those samples. Additionally, this technique
will reveal previously unknown and unrecognized
cryptic species.
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
Previously identified named species and morphospecies
of the ant genus Pheidole will be used
to evaluate the correspondence with molecular
species identified by DNA barcoding. The Ant
Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution Department
of Entomology will provide specimens that will
be randomly sampled as a subset of species taken
from a survey of 11 localities in Guyana. DNA
extraction and PCR amplification of the so-called
“DNA barcoding” region of the mitochondrial
cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene will be carried
out at the National Museum of Natural History
molecular systematics lab of the Laboratories
of Analytical Biology at the Museum Support
Center. The amplified DNA samples will be sequenced
and the sequences subjected to neighbor-joining
analyses to identify DNA barcode "species",
including possible cryptic species unrecognized
by morphological study. It has not been possible,
based on morphology, to associate Pheidole
major ("soldiers") and minor workers
taken in leaf-litter samples, undoubtedly leading
to a miscounting of species numbers. DNA barcoding
is expected to resolve this problem. Additionally,
DNA barcode species will be subjected to biodiversity
analyses to examine species richness, abundance
and similarity across sites.
The procedures I will be working on (described
above) will generate information that will not
only allow the comparison between morphological
and molecular species of Pheidole in leaf-litter
samples from Guyana, but will also inform the
larger controversy about the general validity
of DNA barcoding as a species identification
method.
PROJECT
SUMMARY:
Invertebrates such as ants are useful bioindicators
and therefore an important tool for biodiversity
and conservation. Their ecological dominance
in terrestrial ecosystems, easy sampling, and
sensitivity to environmental change are characteristics
that make them a valid reference point. In 2002,
researchers from the Smithsonian Institution
Ant Lab conducted a survey of leaf-litter ants
from eight sites in Guyana, generating 27,000
ant specimens. Species of Pheidole, a
hyperspeciose ant genus, were encountered in
practically every sample from that survey. Approximately
eighty named species and morphospecies of this
genus have been identified from this study.
Using specimens from that survey, DNA barcoding
will be tested as an effective tool for identifying
species and for associating major and minor
castes of the genus Pheidole, as well
as for providing useful information for biodiversity
analyses. The application of biodiversity analytical
methods to the DNA barcode species and comparison
of the results to those obtained with morphologically
determined species will provide information
about the correspondence of this technique with
traditional methods. It will be possible to
examine if DNA barcoding approaches are useful
in the analysis of richness, abundance and similarity
across sites and if they efficiently support
and complement morphological classification.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS:
Pheidole ants preserved in 95% EtOH in
glass vials will be subsampled and one or more
legs will be removed from each individual, leaving
behind the rest of the ant to serve as a voucher
specimen. Subsequently, the removed leg(s) will
be transferred to a well in a 96-well extraction
plate after recording necessary collection information
into the Ant Lab database and BOLD spreadsheets.
Computer spreadsheets (Excel), barcode label
readers, and a specimen-level database (FileMaker)
will be used for this purpose. The leg samples
will be prepared and submitted to an automated
DNA phenol-chloroform extraction machine. The
resulting extracts will be used to amplify a
fragment of COI with the standard LCO/HCO barcoding
primers, using the polymerase chain reaction
(PCR). The PCR product will be cleaned and sequenced
using mass-throughput equipment at the L.A.B.
The
sequences will be analyzed applying a neighbor-joining
algorithm in order to produce hypothetical DNA
barcode "species" clusters. This will
permit the comparison of the DNA barcode "species"
to the morphologically determined species. Additionally,
the major and minor workers will be associated
based on the DNA sequences.
Biodiversity
analyses will be applied to the DNA barcode
"species" using the computer program
EstimateS. Finally, the results will be compared
with the results obtained from the use of all
species, identified using morphology and with
the Pheidole minor caste excluded.
RESEARCH
ADVISOR:
Ted Schultz
SCHULTZ,
Ted R., Chairman, Department of Entomology and
Curator of Hymenoptera. B.A. (1988) University
of California, Berkeley; Ph.D. (1995) Cornell
University. Research specialties: Evolution
and systematics of ants, especially the fungus-growing
ants (tribe Attini, subfamily Myrmicinae), utilizing
both morphological and molecular characters;
historical ecology and evolution of the fungus-growing
behavior; theory and method of phylogenetic
analysis. Science
Unit: Department
of Entomology.
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|
- Gender:
Male
- Citizenship:
US
- Ethnicity:
- Institution:
Marquette University
- Status:
Junior
- Major:
Biological Sciences
Career
Goals:
Sponsor:
NMNH Office of the Director
|
Andrew
Furness
Mr. Furness is from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
He is currently a junior at Marquette University
in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he is majoring
in biological sciences with a minor in anthropology.
He plans to attend graduate school focusing
on evolutionary biology.
On
the personal side: Growing up in a rural
area, my interest in nature developed at an
early age. In high school I took part in a summer
marine biology program through Shedd Aquarium
in Chicago. This program involved two weeks
of classroom study at Shedd Aquarium followed
by one week aboard the aquarium's research vessel
in the Bahamas. Last summer I worked for the
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources doing
invasive species monitoring. While at this position
I monitored inland lakes for zebra mussel and
spiny water flea infestations.
I
enjoy reading, traveling, fishing, scuba diving,
soccer, and tennis. I look forward to living
in Washington D.C., meeting many new people,
and learning at one of the world's most fascinating
museums.
PROJECT
TITLE:
Foam Glands in Frogs: An
example of convergent evolution in Anura
PROJECT
HYPOTHESIS:
Do recently discovered oviducal glands produce
secretions used in the production of foam for
nest-building frogs?
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
This project seeks to characterize and describe
the foam producing oviducal glands found in
the genus Leptodactylus. The project
will rely heavily upon morphology and histology.
I will first do a literature review in which
I compile known descriptions and documentation
of foam glands in Anura. I will perform
dissections on selected species to determine
gland distribution among Leptodactylus
species. The glands will be described morphologically
(color, size, shape, location, texture, and
possibly volume). If possible, a few individuals
of the same species will be examined to gather
data on size variation. I might calculate a
ratio of size of foam gland to body size to
aid in cross species comparison. It might also
be interesting to see if foam glands are present
in females of all ages or only in those that
are reproductively mature. It might also be
possible to determine if the glands are enlarged
when the female is carrying eggs.
Photographs
will be taken or sketches will be drawn of the
reproductive tract of the various species. Tissue
sections from the oviducts of mature frogs were
previously taken and sent to the histotechnician
so that histological slides could be prepared.
The tissue sections were taken from different
areas along the oviduct – including the
glandular section of the oviduct. Upon receiving
the prepared slides the glandular region will
be examined under the microscope for evidence
of secretion-producing cells. This region will
be compared with other sections of the oviduct.
Time permitting, the glands of other foam nesting
species will be examined for comparison purposes.
In addition, the oviducal morphology of non-foam
nesting frog species will be examined for comparison
purposes. From the data that is gathered, a
number of interpretations will be made. For
example, I should be able to determine whether
or not oviducal morphology identifies foam nest-builders.
It should also be possible to see whether ‘foam
glands’ are found in all foam nest producing
species. I will look for similarities and differences
between the gland structure in different Leptodactylus
species. From the data, it may be possible to
group Leptodactylus species based on
foam gland morphology and histology and derive
some evolutionary relationships. Lastly, I will
prepare a manuscript for publication.
PROJECT
SUMMARY:
Frogs have a diverse range of reproductive behaviors
and methods. One way in which frogs reproduce
is by depositing fertilized eggs into a foam
nest. The foam nest is generated by a secretion
from the female frog which is subsequently beaten
into a frothy mass using rhythmic leg movements.
This behavior allows for a more terrestrial
mode of reproduction and has evolved independently
in a number of different genera. The genus Leptodactylus
of South America is one such group that builds
foam nests. It has been observed that frogs
that produce foam nests have an enlarged region
of the oviduct. This ‘foam gland’
presumably produces the secretion that is beaten
into a foam nest. Relatively little is known
about the ‘foam gland’ – especially
in the genus Leptodactylus. Its gross morphology,
histology, and distribution among different
species has yet to be thoroughly documented
and described.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS:
Dissections will be performed on many species
of frogs within the genus Leptodactylus.
I will use a dissecting microscope to aid in
these. The morphology of the ‘foam glands’
will be described both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The data will be summarized in spreadsheet form
or as deemed most necessary. Digital photographs
will be taken of the reproductive tract with
special emphasis upon the enlarged region of
the oviducts known as the ‘foam gland.’
Histological slides of the ‘foam glands’
will be prepared by the Department of Vertebrate
Zoology histotechnician and these slides will
be examined with a microscope.
RESEARCH
ADVISORS:
Roy McDiarmid and Ron Heyer
MCDIARMID
, Roy W. Adjunct
Scientist. Institutional affiliation: USGS Patuxent
Wildlife Research Center. Education: B.A. (1961)
University of Southern California; M.S. (1965)
University of Southern California; Ph.D. (1969)
University of Southern California. . Research
specialties: evolution, systematics, ecology,
natural history, behavior of vertebrates, especially
in the Neotropics. Science
Unit: Department
of Vertebrate Zoology, Amphibians
and Reptiles Division.
HEYER,
W. Ronald. Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles.
Education: B.A. (1963) Pacific Lutheran University;
M.A. (1965), Ph.D. (1968) University of Southern
California. Research specialties: Systematics,
evolution, and biogeography of Neotropical amphibians.
Science Unit: Department
of Vertebrate Zoology, Amphibians
and Reptiles Division.
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- Gender:
Female
- Citizenship:
Canadian
- Ethnicity:
- Institution:
University of British Columbia
- Status:
Senior
- Major:
Plant Biology
Career
Goals:
Sponsor:
Smithsonian Women's Committee Endowment
|
Emma
Harrower
Ms. Harrower is from Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada. She is currently a non-graduating Senior
at the University of British Columbia where
she is majoring in Plant Biology. She plans
to attend graduate school to study plant systematics.
Other areas of interest are ecology, conservation
biology and symbiotic associations.
On
the personal side: Through an NSERC award,
I have been working in Dr. Sean Graham's molecular
plant systematics lab studying the intron status
of the chloroplast gene 3'rps-12 in the fern
allies. This is important in resolving the phylogenetic
relationships among groups such as the Equisetaceae
and Marrattiaceae. I especially enjoyed collecting
plant specimens and entering them into the UBC
herbarium. I have also worked on photographing
mycorrhizae fungi associated with Hemlock roots
(Tsuga menziesii) with Dr. Mary Berbee.
I am a member of the Vancouver Natural History
Society and greatly enjoy their botany walks
and slideshows. I have been working to create
the Botany Enthusiasts Club of U.B.C., a club
aimed at bringing together students across faculties
interested in algae, plants and fungi and helping
them network with faculty members.
I
love getting outdoors. I have been hiking and
canoeing in wilderness areas since I was a young
child. I enjoy exploring the mountains and the
intertidal zones on the west coast of British
Columbia. I like reading field guides and other
books about the biological and geological stories
of the areas I visit. Every time I go out, I
learn something new. Saturday mornings I volunteer
at Camosun Bog, helping to restore and maintain
this sensitive ecosystem. I look forward to
meeting other students interested in natural
history and to visiting Washington, D.C. It
will be my first visit to a major US city.
PROJECT TITLE:
Population genetics and
taxonomy of Muhlenbergia montana and
Muhlenbergia filiculmis (Poaceae: Muhlenbergiinae)
PROJECT
HYPOTHESIS:
There morphological and genetic differences
between Muhlenbergia montana and Muhlenbergia
filiculmis that are not under environmental
control.
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
Muhlenbergia filiculmis Vasey and M.
montana (Nutt.) Hitchc. are sister species
with very similar morphologies, although the
former species apparently has shorter, involute,
and sharp-pointed leaf blades, and shorter spikelets
with short-awned lemmas. Muhlenbergia montana
is ecologically a dominant component of grasslands
found in the southwestern United States, throughout
Mexico, and the highlands of Guatemala where
it grows on rocky slopes, ridge tops, dry meadows,
and open slopes between 1400 and 3700 meters.
Muhlenbergia filiculmis is restricted
to the southern Rocky Mountains in the United
States where it occurs on similar habitats at
higher elevations between 2500 and 3500 meters.
This research seeks to estimate the genetic
diversity within and among 15 populations of
M. montana and M. filiculmis using
amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP)
markers. Neighbour-Joining cluster analysis
will be used create a dendrogram demonstrating
the genetic relationships between 15 different
populations of the two species. I also hope
to clarify differences between M. montana
and M. filiculmis by studying macromorphological
characters. Discriminant analysis will be used
to determine the most useful characters for
discriminating between the two taxa. Principle
components analysis will be used to assess the
morphological variation between the two taxa.
The geographic locations of the 15 populations
M. filiculmis and M. montana will
be mapped to show distribution patterns.
PROJECT
SUMMARY:
Muhlenbergia filiculmis Vasey and M.
montana (Nutt.) Hitchc. are sister species with
very similar morphologies and ecological requirements.
To better understand the morphological and genetic
differences between the two species, I will
collect morphological data from 100 herbarium
specimens and genetic data from 15 populations
using amplified fragment length polymorphism
(AFLP) markers. Geographic positions of the
populations will be mapped and data will be
analyzed using discriminant analysis, principle
components analysis and neighbour-joining cluster
analysis.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS:
Morphological
analysis:
-
Score characters and character states by observing
about 100 plant specimens under a dissecting
microscope and taking quantitative measurements.
-
Run discriminant analysis (DA) to evaluate the
taxonomic utility and importance of characters
used to discriminate the two species.
-)
Run principle component analysis (PCA) to assess
morphological variation in the data and to assess
phenetic similarities/ dissimilarities among
taxa.
AFLP
analysis:
-
Determine primer sequences to use and order
primers (DNA from 300 specimens already extracted).
- Cut DNA using restriction enzymes (EcoR1 and
Mse1) and ligate adapters to the restriction
fragments to create templates for pre-amplification.
- Pre-amplification (300 reactions) of the primary
templates with AFLP primers with an additional
single nucleotide at the 3’ end.
- Selective amplification with ?33P-labeled
EcoR1 primers having three selective nucleotides
at the 3’ end (AGG, ACG, AAG) in combination
with Mse1 primers having three selective nucleotides
at the 3’ end (CTC, CTG, CGC, CAC).
- Separate amplification products on 5% polyacrylimide
gels for 2.30 h at 80W.
- Transfer to Whatman paper and dry on a gel
dryer for 2 h at 80°C. Expose gel to film
at -80°C for 1-7 days depending on signal
intensity.
- Score AFLP products as present (1) or absent
(0) on autographs to create a binary matrix.
- Use Neighbour-Joining cluster analysis using
the program NTSYSpc to construct dendrograms
depicting the genetic relationships between
populations and between species.
GIS
analysis:
Input
geographical data for all the populations of
the two species into ArcView and plot onto a
2D map of North and Central America.
RESEARCH
ADVISOR:
Paul Peterson
PETERSON,
Paul M. Curator of Grasses. Education: B.A.
(1977) Humboldt State University; M.S. (1984)
University of Nevada; Ph.D. (1988) Washington
State University. Research specialties: Systematics
and floristics of New World grasses; phylogeny
of the grass family. Science Unit: Department
of Botany.
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- Gender:
Male
- Citizenship:
Colombian
- Ethnicity:
- Institution:
Universidad
de los Andes
- Status:
Senior
- Major:
Biology,
Microbiology
Career
Goals:
Sponsor:
Alice Eve Kennington Endowment
|
Santiago
Herrera
Mr. Herrera is from Bogotá, Colombia.
After returning for another semester of classes,
he will graduate in December (2007) from the
Universidad de los Andes in Colombia where he
is double majoring in Biology and Microbiology.
He has already made plans to begin a Masters
degree studying coral biology and systematics
at Universidad de los Andes. After completing
his masters he hopes obtain a PhD in marine
conservation using molecular, ecological and
systematics tools.
On
the personal side: I am working on my undergrad
thesis in octocoral systematics, which is being
developed at the BIOMMAR (Molecular Marine Biology)
laboratory of the Universidad de los Andes.
In addition to my studies, I also have worked
in the Museum of Natural History herbarium at
Universidad de los Andes assisting with curatorial
and database activities. I serve as a volunteer
gamekeeper at the Tayrona Natural National Park,
located along the Atlantic coast of Colombia.
I have a broad interest in many interesting
aspects of natural history, i.e. marine organisms,
insects, plants, geology and oceanography. I
have participated in numerous field trips in
Colombia, visiting a variety of different environments
(rain forest, desert, wetlands, mountains, rivers,
shores and the ocean) utilizing numerous collection
procedures.
I
like to work hard to achieve my goals. I am
an open minded person with an extreme passion
for traveling, meeting new people, learning
from different cultures, exploring foreign countries,
and trying any kind of food. I enjoy good music
& concerts, theater, a glass of red wine,
the ocean, reading, cooking, eating, visiting
museums, and having a good time with my friends.
I am a huge fan of the outdoors and sports;
especially hiking, camping, rappelling, skydiving,
scuba diving, playing football, biking, and
running.
PROJECT
TITLE:
Investigating Diversity
of the Freshwater Medusa Craspedacusta sowerbii.
PROJECT
HYPOTHESIS:
Molecular and morphological data can reveal
previously unknown and unrecognized cryptic
species of Craspedacusta sowerbii and
also could give information about its geographical
origin.
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
In the attempt to answer the questions of the
possible geographic origin of C. sowerbii
and the unrecognized cryptic species, the project
will mainly involve the derivation of four different
DNA sequences: the large subunit of mitochondrial
rDNA (16S), which has been extensively used
to perform broad phylogenetic analyses; the
internal transcriber spacer (ITS1, 5.8S and
ITS2) region of the nuclear rDNA citrons which
are one of the more frequently utilized regions
for phylogenetic analyses at the genus and species
levels; and finally the cytochrome oxidase I
(COI) mitochondrial gene used in the barcoding
project.
Recent
unpublished data from Allen Collins et al. show
two clearly separated clades in a 16S phylogenetic
hypothesis of the fresh water medusae. The tree
was obtained using samples of C. sowerbii
from different geographic locations, as well
as other fresh water species. These data will
be included in the study. There are around 15
unpublished sequences of the ITS marker available
online in the GenBank database; these will be
included too. The additional 16S, ITS and COI
sequences will be derived from 20 alcohol preserved
sampled that were generously provided by different
sources. About 35 formalin preserved samples
are available in the museum's collection. Special
efforts will be required to obtain useful DNA
from these samples. Overall, the project will
include representative specimens from North
America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa
and Australia. In addition, samples from other
species of the same order Limnomedusae will
be incorporated as outgroups. DNA sequences
will be obtained through three mainly steps:
DNA extraction, PCR and sequencing of PCR products.
Different phylogenetic analyses will be performed
using parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian
inference methods. Comparisons will be made
between data obtained from the different analyses
and the combinations of data sets from each
molecular marker. Information from rRNA (16S
and ITS) secondary structures will be used to
improve alignments and also to generate additional
phylogenetic hypotheses using data from morphometric
characters of the simulated secondary structures.
Finally,
a survey of nematocyst and gross animal morphology
will be performed to determine if there are
differences corresponding with differentiation
in the genetic data. Light microscopy will be
needed for this purpose.
PROJECT
SUMMARY:
Very few freshwater medusa species exist. Most
of these are relatively restricted in distribution.
By far the most common of these species is Craspedacusta
sowerbii which presents a world-wide distribution.
This organism has been reported several times
in many places since the first description in
1880, from a small warm-water tank used to cultivate
tropical plants in the London's Kew gardens.
The species was therefore hypothesized to have
been introduced from the Amazon basin on the
roots of a Victoria regia. A number of
different species have been described within
the genus, all of them apparently restricted
to Asia. An Asian origin of the genus has been
proposed due to this high local species diversity.
The species status of C. sowerbii was
established using only morphological information,
but recent unpublished data from mitochondrial
16S show that the name has been applied to at
least two distinct cryptic species. This project
would involve deriving additional molecular
sequences (COI, 16S, and ITS) from a relatively
small number of available samples. Secondary
structure information of 16S, and hopefully
ITS rRNA, will be included in the phylogenetic
analyses. Also, if time allows nematocyst morphology
will be used to determine if there are differences
corresponding with differentiation in genetic
data.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS:
A total of approximately 74 samples will be
included in the molecular analyses. 20 ethanol
preserved samples of the Craspedacusta,
and Limnocnida. 20 ethanol preserved
samples of other Limnomedusae species. 35 formalin
preserved samples of Craspedacusta, and
other genera from the order Limnomedusae. DNA
extraction from the samples will be performed
using the Automated Phenol/Chloroform Autogenprep
965 extractor. Automated PCR will be carried
out for each sample using specific pairs of
primers for each molecular marker in MJ Research
Tetrads thermocyclers. Subsequent automated
PCR products sequencing will be completed using
an ABI capillary DNA Sequencer. The
sequencing results will be edited using the
Sequencher software. BioEdit and SeaView will
be used to visualize the sequences. Alignments
will be performed using different available
software including ClustalW and Muscle. Parsimony
and Maximum likelihood analyses will be made
using PAUP and Bayesian inference with MrBayes.
The different models of nucleotides substitution
will be selected using ModelTest and MrModelTest.
For the RNA secondary structure hypotheses and
visualization, the Mfold and RNAviz programs
will be required.
RESEARCH
ADVISORS:
Steve Cairns and Allen Collins
CAIRNS,
Stephen D. Research Zoologist, Curator of Cnidaria.
Education: B.A. (1971) University of New Orleans;
M.S. (1973), Ph.D. (1976) University of Miami.
Research specialties: Systematics, zoogeography
mineralogy, and phylogeny of Neogene to Recent
Scleractinia (deep water and reef corals), Octocorallia
and Stylasteridae (hydrocorals), worldwide.
Science
Unit: Department
of Invertebrate Zoology.
COLLINS
, Allen G. Adjunct Scientist. Institutional
affiliation: NOAA, National Marine Fisheries
Service Systematics Laboratory. Education: B.A.
(1987) Amherst College; Ph.D. (1999) University
of California, Berkeley. Research specialties:
systematics and evolution of sponges, cnidarians,
and other early diverging metazoan groups .
Science
Unit: Department
of Invertebrate Zoology.
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- * - - - - - - - - - -
|
- Gender:
Female
- Citizenship:
US
- Ethnicity:
- Institution:
Mount Holyoke College
- Status:
Sophomore
- Major:
Biology
Career
Goals:
Sponsor:
Max Berry Donation
|
Addison
Kemp
Ms. Kemp is originally from Holden, Massachusetts.
She is currently a sophomore at Mount Holyoke
College where she is majoring in Biology with
a minor in Russian and Eurasian Studies. After
graduating, she plans on attending graduate
school to study either ichthyology or marine
biology.
On
the personal side: I have been interested
in natural history for as long as I can remember
and taught as a volunteer for a number of years
at a natural history day camp on Cape Cod. During
my first year I conducted an individual research
project involving Astyanax mexicanus,
a species of blind cave fish, which led me toward
ichthyology. What I find most fascinating about
fish is the important evolutionary role they
have played in the development of vertebrate
life and the vast array of adaptations they
have evolved to become such a successful group.
My
whole life outside of school seems to revolve
around water, which might help explain my interest
in fish. I was a synchronized swimmer for eleven
years, I swam on my high school's varsity team
for four years, and this was my first year on
my college's varsity diving team. When I am
not in class or in the pool, I enjoy reading,
hiking, traveling, working with children, and
visiting museums of all kinds.
PROJECT
TITLE:
Two new species of the freshwater
fish genus Monotocheirodon from Peru
(Characiformes: Characidae)
PROJECT
HYPOTHESIS:
The South American freshwater fish genus Monotocheirodon
is not limited to the single species M. pearsoni
described by Eigenmann in 1922. This genus actually
includes two other species which live in Peru
and can be easily distinguished from one another
and from the Bolivian M. pearsoni by
the length of their intromittent organs.
PROJECT
DESCRIPTION:
Insemination is an unusual reproductive mode
among teleost fishes; however it is fairly common
within certain subgroups of the Otophysi. Among
these is the family Characidae, to which the
Monotocheirodon genus belongs. This rare
South American freshwater genus was previously
thought to contain only one species, M. pearsoni,
which was described by Eigenmann in 1922. It
has recently become obvious that some of the
fishes being identified as M. pearsoni
are actually specimens of two new species. The
males of both new species posses an inseminating
organ which is absent in the males of M.
pearsoni. The two new species can be distinguished
from one another in two obvious ways. The males
of one of the new species have significantly
longer inseminating organs as well as a unique
adaptation of the pelvic fin which may be used
to position the inseminating organ during mating.
All three Monotocheirodon species were
recently shown to practice insemination when
histological evidence of spermatozoa was found
in the ovarian cavity of sexually mature females
of each species (Burns and Weitzman, 2003).
This project is focused on discerning and describing
the morphological differences between the three
species of Monotocheirodon.
Publication of the paper resulting from the
completion of this project would be useful to
ichthyologists in a number of ways. The current
phylogeny of the groups within the Characid
family is very unclear and highly unstable.
Complete scientific descriptions of all known
species will aid in future attempts to organize
a complete and universally recognized phylogeny
for this family. A comparison of the three Monotocheirodon
species would be especially useful for the study
of inseminating teleosts because each species
in the genus represents a discreet stage in
a series of adaptations which result in a more
derived morphology geared specifically toward
insemination. In this genus there is a clearly
illustrated progression toward a highly modified
inseminating morphology which could help us
to better understand the evolution of adapted
morphologies in other inseminating teleosts.
Because of the advantages of publishing this
paper, we plan to submit it for publication.
We have not yet decided whether we will be submitting
it to Copeia or to Neotropical Ichthyology first.
If the paper is published in Copeia it will
reach a broader audience, while if it is published
in Neotropical Ichthyology we will be more directly
targeting the South American ichthyologists
for their consumption. The latter option may
be appropriate as this genus does live exclusively
in South America.
I will be gathering morphometric data on the
roughly 40 Monotocheirodon specimens
present at the NMNH. In addition to performing
tooth, fin ray and scale counts, I will also
being using a set of 1/10mm calipers to take
roughly 30 standard measurements of each fish.
These measurements include standard length,
body depth at dorsal fin origin, fin lengths,
and the distances from the snout to various
points on the body. I will record these data,
perform statistical analyses on them, and organize
them into tables which will be included in the
paper to be submitted for publication. Once
this is completed I will write the descriptions
of the two new species and rewrite the previously
provided description of M. pearsoni.
These descriptions will include distinguishing
characters, color in alcohol, a discussion of
sexual dimorphism, notes on distribution and
ecology, the etymology of the new species names,
and a discussion of possible relationships between
these fish and other Characid fishes, specifically
Ceratobranchia, Odontostoechus
and Orthonocheirodus.
PROJECT
SUMMARY:
This research is focused on discerning and describing
the morphological differences between the three
inseminating species of Monotocheirodon,
two of which are new to science. The most prominent
distinctions between the three species are the
modifications each has evolved for copulation.
M. pearsoni has no visible adaptations
for insemination while the males of both new
species posses an intromittent organ which is
used to direct spermatozoa into the reproductive
tract of the female. This organ is significantly
longer in one of the two new species. The males
of that third species also have a remarkable
and unique adaptation of their pelvic fins which
appears to be derived for directing and maneuvering
the inseminating organ during mating. The aims
of this project are to prepare new species descriptions
and write a contemporary description of the
species described by Eigenmann in 1922. This
will add new information to the body of scientific
literature regarding the adaptations and phylogenies
of inseminating those characiforms that are
now known to be inseminating.
MATERIALS
AND METHODS:
RESEARCH
