NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biology FY 2015

Owens Hannah L, Lawnrece KS

Investigators

Abstract

This action funds an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology for FY 2015, Research Using Biological Collections. The fellowship supports a research and training plan for the Fellow to take transformative approaches to grand challenges in biology that employ biological collections in highly innovative ways. The title of the research plan for this fellowship to Hannah L. Owens is "Integrative analysis of the tropical diversity gradient from museum collections of New World swallowtail butterflies." The host institution for this fellowship is the University of Florida, and the sponsoring scientists are Robert Guralnick and Akito Kawahara. One of the most profound patterns in geographical ecology is that biodiversity is higher in the tropics than in temperate zones. Understanding the contributions of various hypothesized drivers of species, diversification rates and, ultimately, observed diversity, makes it possible to predict future biodiversity in regions undergoing rapid environmental change. Using cutting-edge methods for collecting new data from existing biological specimens, this research promises to develop a synthetic understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes that lead to the tropical diversity gradient in New World swallowtail butterflies. Innovative analyses of the tropical diversity gradient involves incorporating traditionally-hypothesized drivers of the pattern, such as evolutionary history, lineage age, and diversification rate, with novel factors such as tropicality of suitable environments, breadth of suitable environments, and morphological variability. This work is being conducted at the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity (MGCL) and Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH) at the University of Florida, which houses one of the largest and fastest-growing collections of Lepidoptera in the United States, and also uses the collection of the National Museum of Natural History. This work is transformative in its use of cutting-edge methods for collecting genetic and morphological data from museum specimens, and by improving the connection between specimens and the data derived from them. Training goals include genomics, digitizing museum specimen information, teaching, and public outreach to develop as an independent researcher and educator. Data collected during the course of research is being incorporated into laboratory activities for upper and lower division college courses, in order to familiarize students with the vast array of useful information to be collected from museum specimens. Further, as papillionids are colorful, charismatic, and easy to observe, they represent an ideal group for developing public outreach opportunities. In collaboration with the FLMNH?s Center for Science Learning, public education materials are being developed to explore distributions of Florida native papillionid butterfly species, especially that of the endangered Schaus swallowtail.