Integrating quantitative characters, discrete characters, fossils and morphometrics

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

This project will develop new methods for combining fossil and living species in phylogenetic analyses of evolutionary history. Information from DNA sequence data and proteins is often used to reconstruct evolutionary trees for living species. Data from the phenotype is also critically important in such analyses in order to investigate how the phenotype changes through time along the tree, and to assess how these changes might be correlated. One goal of this project will be to use morphometric measurements of shape to assess the placement of fossil species on phylogenetic trees. The project will also develop methods and analytical programs for inclusion of multiple fossils and multiple shape characters in integrative phylogenetic analyses. The project will also investigate how morphometric methods can be used to describe the evolution of organismal shape along evolutionary trees. Morphometric methods applied to shapes are based on landmark points (points with names) on organisms. Although good methods exist for collecting the locations of these points and for describing the shapes these points make, better methods for describing how those shapes change throughout evolutionary time are required in modern studies, and will be developed here. The project will train several graduate students in phylogenetic computing and morphometric analyses, and will provide outreach and training in new methods to the scientific community.