RUI: Diversification of New World Silversides (Atherinopsidae: Tribe Menidiini)

Southeastern Louisiana University, Hammond LA

Investigators

Abstract

Explaining why particular taxonomic groups are more diverse than others, and why some appear to exhibit explosive adaptive radiations during evolutionary history, has long been a goal of evolutionary biologists. The silverside fish genus Chirostoma (Atherinopsidae: Tribe Menidiini), is a highly diverse group restricted to the Mesa Central of Mexico. Chirostoma has previously been referred to as a classic example of an adaptive radiation, however this has not be adequately tested with modern methods. The objective of this multidisciplinary project is to use DNA sequence data to investigate the evolutionary relationships among the genera and species within the Tribe Menidiini, and to gather ecological and morphological data to specifically address the tempo and mode of diversification within Chirostoma. This field and lab study will train a new generation of students in a variety of scientific disciplines, including molecular systematics and geometric morphometrics. Collaboration, education, and student training are key components of the project. Chirostoma represents one of the most economically and culturally important groups of fishes in Mexico, and the results of this study will be of interest to biologists and others. A website and a photographic key to the Menidiine silversides of Mexico will be developed, and will be particularly useful to scientists, resource managers, and government agencies interested in fish conservation in Mexico.