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Data Without Borders ICE 2016: Difference between revisions
Data Without Borders ICE 2016 (view source)
Revision as of 15:41, 16 September 2016
, 16 September 2016→Short Description
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| '''Pamela Soltis''' (psoltis@flmnh.ufl.edu), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL | | '''Pamela Soltis''' (psoltis@flmnh.ufl.edu), University of Florida, Gainesville, FL | ||
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| Like blood from that stone we always hear about: a quest to extract meaningful data from historical grasshopper specimens | | Like blood from that stone we always hear about: a quest to extract meaningful data from historical grasshopper specimens | ||
::'''Introduction''': One of the most ancient ecosystems in the southeastern U.S.A. is scrub, often associated with ridge systems that were most likely used as refugia during Pleistocene sea level changes. Following sea level stabilization, these habitats effectively remained islands due to unique soil composition and a lack of plant diversity leading to a myriad of floral and faunal endemics. In particular, arthropod endemics abound as in the grasshopper genus Melanoplus (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae). Many genus members possess short wings incapable of flight and are unable to easily disperse over large distances, which makes such Melanoplus species ideal candidates for examining speciation hypotheses. To test such hypotheses, the Puer Group (PG), comprised of 24 species with related morphology, was chosen. The group spans four neighboring states (FL, GA, SC, and NC), contains many scrub endemics, and its males exhibit great genitalia variation. A good beginning for delving deeper into the group’s evolutionary history was determining current species ranges by georeferencing around 5,000 specimens, borrowed from various U.S. collections and gathered in the field during recent expeditions. | ::'''Introduction''': One of the most ancient ecosystems in the southeastern U.S.A. is scrub, often associated with ridge systems that were most likely used as refugia during Pleistocene sea level changes. Following sea level stabilization, these habitats effectively remained islands due to unique soil composition and a lack of plant diversity leading to a myriad of floral and faunal endemics. In particular, arthropod endemics abound as in the grasshopper genus Melanoplus (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Melanoplinae). Many genus members possess short wings incapable of flight and are unable to easily disperse over large distances, which makes such Melanoplus species ideal candidates for examining speciation hypotheses. To test such hypotheses, the Puer Group (PG), comprised of 24 species with related morphology, was chosen. The group spans four neighboring states (FL, GA, SC, and NC), contains many scrub endemics, and its males exhibit great genitalia variation. A good beginning for delving deeper into the group’s evolutionary history was determining current species ranges by georeferencing around 5,000 specimens, borrowed from various U.S. collections and gathered in the field during recent expeditions. | ||