Collaborative Research: Discovery and analysis in the cradle of speciation theory: biotic surveys of Melanesia's terrestrial vertebrates

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

Land animals of Southwest Pacific island chains exhibit unique patterns of diversification. Explanations for these patterns have influenced the fields of ecology and evolution, yet the processes that produced these patterns are little studied. Furthermore, few scientists have visited many of the more remote and rugged parts of this island region, and animals in these areas are poorly known. This project contains two major components: (1) fieldwork to survey vertebrate communities (birds, frogs, lizards, snakes and mammals) and collect specimen material across the diverse biological communities of the Southwest Pacific; and (2) laboratory-based genetic analysis to study the evolutionary history of these animal groups as well as contemporary interactions among island populations. Field and laboratory work will enable the description of new species, redefine patterns of biodiversity, and provide much-needed comparative material for world-class global collections. Importantly, training and education of US university students is integrated throughout this work. US undergraduate and graduate students will work closely with students from host countries, implementing field research projects under the guidance of team leaders and senior graduate students. This collaboration between US and local scientists, students, and non-government stakeholders will help clarify regional patterns of vertebrate biodiversity within this poorly known biodiversity hotspot. Modern terrestrial vertebrate collections from the Southwest Pacific archipelagos will allow testing and reinterpretation of fundamental ecological and evolutionary hypotheses. Biodiversity surveys will focus on collections of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. Georeferenced collections will include multiple preparation types, genetic samples, blood smears, gastrointestinal contents, and associated parasite faunas. High quality audio recordings of species vocalizations will document these often overlooked aspects of the phenotype. Audio data will include targeted recordings of individual birds, bats, frogs, and geckos, as well as environmental recordings of dawn and dusk choruses. Reduced representation genomic sampling of populations (RAD-seq and sequence capture) will be used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships among species and populations, as well as to assess levels of gene flow among island populations with varying degrees of geographic isolation. Data will be made available through open-access repositories and results will be synthesized in a comparative framework across all terrestrial vertebrates.