Phylogeography and genetic diversity pattern in meiofauna species

• Grant number: 22/12534-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2022
• End date: August 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Animal Genetics
• Principal Investigator: Sónia Cristina da Silva Andrade
• Grantee: Taynara Candido da Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 21/06738-8 - Seascape genetics and comparative genomics: an integrative evolutionary approach in marine invertebrates, AP.BTA.JP2

Abstract

The project "Seascape genetics and comparative genomics: an integrative evolutionary approach in marine invertebrates" demands molecular analyzes of marine invertebrates to understand which and how evolutionary events better explain the distribution of genetic variability. It is known that the benthic fauna represents most of the animal diversity and, for this reason, the levels of metazoan diversity are commonly underestimated, especially for neglected taxa such as the soft-bodied meiofauna (Curini-Galletti et al. 2020). This project approach includes sampling collections at micro and macrogeographic scales in order to understand how populations of meiofaunal (soft-bodied) species with distinct life histories differ in terms of population structure and demographic history. This approach is a pioneer in Brazil and has great potential for future application in comparative evolutionary studies, as well as in larval and coastal ecology. The student will receive training to perform sampling and identification of large of meiofauna species, which include at least 25 of the 34 currently known phyla (Giere 2009) . In addition to the steps involving biological collection, the student will also be directly involved with the analyses of molecular data from previously selected model species.