Report Number: 29629
Permit Number: CRLA-2004-SCI-0006
Current Status: Checked in
Date Received: Jan 06, 2005
Reporting Year:
2004
Principal Investigator:
Dr Leah Larkin,
Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Park-assigned Study Id. #
CRLA-04019
Permit Expiration Date:
Mar 31, 2007
Permit Start Date:
Jun 08, 2004
Study Starting Date:
Jun 08, 2004
Study Ending Date:
Mar 31, 2007
Study Status:
Continuing
Activity Type:
Research
Subject/Discipline:
Invertebrates (Insects, Other)
Objectives:
This is an NSF-funded project by
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 and with over 550 species in North
America. 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
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
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.
Findings and Status: No activity was
conducted this report year
For this study, were one or
more specimens collected and removed from the park but not destroyed during
analyses?
No
Funding provided this
reporting year by NPS:
0
Funding provided this
reporting year by other sources:
85033
Full name of college or
university: n/a
Annual funding provided by
NPS to university or college this reporting year: 0
