NSF Award Abstract - #0344288| NSF Award Abstract - #0344288 |
AWSFL008-DS3 |
| NSF Org | DEB |
| Latest Amendment Date | March 24, 2004 |
| Award Number | 0344288 |
| Award Instrument | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager |
James B. Woolley DEB DIVISION OF ENVIRONMENTAL BIOLOGY BIO DIRECT FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES |
| Start Date | April 1, 2004 |
| Expires | March 31, 2007 (Estimated) |
| Expected Total Amount | $332335 (Estimated) |
| Investigator | Leah L. Larkin leah-perle@comcast.net (Principal Investigator current) |
| Sponsor |
University of New Mexico MSC05 3370 Albuquerque, NM 87131 505/277-2256 |
| NSF Program | 7374 SYST BIOLOGY & BIODIV INV CLUS |
| Field Application | 0000099 Other Applications NEC |
| Program Reference Code | 1198,9150,9169,EGCH, |
REVSYS: A holistic approach to a holarctic group: Subgeneric relationships within the genus Andrena Fabricius (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae) with a revision of the subgenus CalandrenaA grant has been awarded to Dr. Leah L. Larkin of the University of New Mexico to study the bee genus Andrena. This genus is extremely large, with over 1400 species that are native to areas throughout the northern hemisphere. The genus has been divided into between 95 and 98 groups (subgenera), but recent analyses of DNA data indicate that these groupings are not accurate; some species that look morphologically similar are not actually closely related to one another. This project will expand on these DNA findings by including approximately 550 species from throughout the distribution of Andrena. The data will be analyzed using techniques that identify the evolutionary relationships (phylogeny) of the species. The results will allow Dr. Larkin and her international collaborators in Europe, Japan, Mexico and the United States to regroup the species into subgenera that accurately reflect the relationships of the species. Another aspect of the study will focus on a single subgenus that is found exclusively in North America. The subgenus Callandrena is an example of a group of species that look similar but are not closely related. The appropriate groups of related species will be identified and the 40 or more species in Mexico that are new to science will be named and described. In addition, a "key", which aids in the identification of species, will be created in an electronic format so that biologists and the curious can access it via the internet and use it to identify species.
This project will benefit the scientific community in a number of ways. It will compare new computational methods for analyzing large datasets and result in a global phylogeny of one of the largest genera of bees. The electronic keys will allow easy identification of species from North America. The phylogeny will aid in the future study of interesting ecological interactions of the bees, including their pollen host-plant preferences, seasons of emergence, parasite relationships, and the historical aspects of their current geographic distributions. Because bees are the most important insect pollinators of plants, the results may potentially benefit both agriculture and ecological conservation. Undergraduate students will participate and be trained in a number of skills, including field collecting techniques; identifying bees; describing new species; extracting and sequencing DNA; and analyzing both DNA and morphological data. University of New Mexico is designated a Minority-Serving Institution, and undergraduate involvement will likely increase minority participation in science.
