Collaborative Research: RUI: Timing and Molecular Origins of Recently Evolved Chiton Shell-Eyes: Phylogenomics of Chitonina

Csu Fullerton Auxiliary Services Corporation, Fullerton CA

Investigators

Abstract

Chitons (Mollusca: Polyplacophora) are ecologically important marine invertebrate animals common on rocky shores. They typically have eight overlapping shell plates supplied with numerous sensory organs, which in certain lineages are further developed into tiny image-forming shell-eyes. Chiton shell-eyes are the only eyes known to focus light using lenses made of the calcium carbonate - mineral aragonite. This study will establish how many times, when, where, and how shell-eyes evolved in chitons, employing phylogenetic analyses from DNA for most living chiton species, plus fossils. Chitons are well suited for investigating the origin and evolution of eyes because there is considerable variation in shell-eye morphology that permits comparative studies, behavioral and molecular experiments are feasible, and chiton shell-eyes evolved recently compared to the eyes of other animals. This grant will benefit society because chitons have unique traits including not only mineral-based lenses but also magnetite-coated teeth used for feeding and a robust and flexible form of natural armor that are of interest to the field of biologically-inspired design. Better understanding of chiton relationships will help researchers use comparative methods to study these traits and others. The grant will help develop a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce by funding the training of undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral researchers and fostering collaboration between research- and teaching-oriented universities.