Bivalves in Time and Space (BiTS)

2011 REU Project:

This study is part of a collaborative effort (see also www.bivatol.org/BiTS/) to develop bivalves as a model clade for macroevolutionary studies. By integrating molecular, morphological and paleontological datasets, BiTS aims to test methods of molecular clock dating, ancestral state reconstruction and historical biogeography, as well as to detect spatial and temporal trends in evolution.

BiTS researchers at the Field Museum concentrate on the morphological and paleontological components of the project, investigating the evolution of numerous shell and anatomical features in two of the commonest bivalve lineages - venus clams and cockles.

Research methods and techniques: REU participants in the project will receive an introduction to bivalve morphology and systematics, with particular focus on shell characters - i.e., those that preserve well in fossils. They will prepare specimens, document diagnostic characters with optical and scanning electron microscopy, build and analyze phylogenetic trees, and gain experience with relevant literature research and collection management techniques.

Curator/Advisors: Dr. Rüdiger Bieler, Zoology/Invertebrates, in collaboration with postdoctoral fellow Dr. André Sartori.