Collaborative Research:  Genetic Analysis of Regressive     Evolution
{'Code': '08010207', 'Directorate': {'Abbreviation': 'BIO', 'LongName': 'Direct For Biological Sciences'}, 'Division': {'Abbreviation': 'DEB', 'LongName': 'Division Of Environmental Biology'}}
{'SignBlockName': 'Tarri Joyner', 'PO_EMAI': 'tjoyner@nsf.gov', 'PO_PHON': '7032927742'}
Cave animals hold a fascination both because of the strange                habitat in which they live, and the modifications that they've                  undergone for life in darkness.  The purpose of the present study               is to unravel the cause of the morphological changes that                       accompany life in caves, which serves as a model system to                      understand the evolutionary loss or reduction of structures such                as the appendix in humans.  The principal investigators will                    investigate the cause of the reduction of eyes in cave                          populations of a small shrimp-like animal, Gammarus minus.  Eye                 loss may happen either because animals with eyes are at some                    disadvantage in the cave, perhaps because of wasted energy; or                  eye loss may occur simply due to the random accumulation of                     mutations that reduce the eyes.  Using a variety of statistical                 techniques, the principal investigators will determine whether                  animals with small eyes have any advantage over animals with                    large eyes in the cave environment, and whether animals with                    large eyes have any advantage over animals with small eyes in the               spring environment.  Preliminary results indicate that natural                  selection plays a critical role in the loss of eyes.                                 Using techniques of molecular genetics that provide an                     estimate of the genetic differences among populations, the PI's                 will also determine if invasion and isolation in caves, with its                predictable morphological consequences, has been frequent.  Field               work for this project will be done in a series of caves and                     springs in West Virginia and Virginia.
{'FirstName': 'David', 'LastName': 'Culver', 'PI_MID_INIT': 'C', 'PI_SUFX_NAME': None, 'PI_FULL_NAME': 'David C Culver', 'EmailAddress': 'dculver@american.edu', 'NSF_ID': '000388389', 'StartDate': '03/15/1989', 'EndDate': None, 'RoleCode': 'Principal Investigator'}
{'Name': 'American University', 'CityName': 'WASHINGTON', 'ZipCode': '200168002', 'PhoneNumber': '2028853440', 'StreetAddress': '4400 MASSACHUSETTS AVE NW', 'StreetAddress2': None, 'CountryName': 'United States', 'StateName': 'District of Columbia', 'StateCode': 'DC', 'CONGRESSDISTRICT': '00', 'CONGRESS_DISTRICT_ORG': 'DC00', 'ORG_UEI_NUM': 'H4VNDUN2VWU5', 'ORG_LGL_BUS_NAME': 'AMERICAN UNIVERSITY', 'ORG_PRNT_UEI_NUM': None}
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{'Code': '1127', 'Text': 'Evolutionary Processes'}
{'url': 'https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/download?DownloadFileName=1988&All=true', 'xml': '8818560.xml'}