Systematics, Zoogeography and Phylogenetics of Skates       (Chondrichthyes, Rajoidei)
{'Code': '08010207', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'James E. Rodman', 'PO_EMAI': None, 'PO_PHON': None}
This proposal is a request for funds to continue a long term            study on the systematics, distribution, and evolutionary                        relationships of skates and rays (flattened cartilaginous                       fishes).  The overall objectives of the study are to clarify the                evolutionary relationships within and among the subgenera and                   genera of skates, to use this information to construct                          distributional and evolutionary patterns for skates, and to                     speculate on the evolutionary relationships of skates and the                   other taxa of rays (sawfishes, guitarfishes, electric rays and                  sting rays).  Specifically, the proposed research will: 1) test,                elaborate and revise as necessary the current hypothesis of                     evolutionary relationships of skates by comparative analysis of                 the skull, gill arches, shoulder girdle, pelvic girdle,                         intromittent organs, and tooth morphology of all subgenera and                  genera and a majority of the species; and 2) compare these                      structures, and the gill arch musculature, cranial nerves, and                  head and gill arch blood vessels of skates with those of other                  rays.  Detailed systematic and evolutionary studies of skates                   over the past 30 to 40 years have set the stage for a                           comprehensive and in-depth evolutionary study of skates.  These                 studies have clarified most of the species level systematic                     problems and recognized most of the subgenera and genera.                       However, the evolutionary relationships remain uncertain.                       Successful completion of the proposed study will contribute to:                 1) clarification of the evolutionary interrelationships of the                  cartilaginous fishes (chimaeras, sharks and rays); 2) the                       understanding of the distributional patterns of benthic fishes;                 and 3) knowledge of the evolutionary patterns of a diverse but                  morphologically conservative group of organisms.
{'FirstName': 'John', 'LastName': 'McEachran', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'D', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'John D McEachran', 'EmailAddress': 'j-mceachran@tamu.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000336526', 'StartDate': '06/01/1987', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'Texas A&M Research Foundation', 'CityName': 'COLLEGE STATION', 'ZipCode': '778454375', 'PhoneNumber': '9798626777', 'StreetAddress': '400 HARVEY MITCHELL PKWY S STE 3', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'Texas', 'StateCode': 'TX', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '10', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'TX10', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'EQH8NQ4AXFT7', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'TEXAS A & M RESEARCH FOUNDATION', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
{'Name': None, 'CityName': None, 'StateCode': None, 'ZipCode': None, 'StreetAddress': None, 'CountryCode': None, 'CountryName': None, 'StateName': None, 'CountryFlag': None, 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': None, 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_PERF': '""'}
{'Code': '112700', 'Text': 'Evolutionary Processes'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1987&All=true', 'xml': '8700292.xml'}