 |
The Diplopoda: Research, Taxonomic Training and Computerization
 Publications: To date, support from this grant has resulted in over 30 publications (more forthcoming). A full publication list and electronic reprints (in pdf format when available) are available by clicking here. Publications from this grant cover a wide range of topics relevant to the study of millipede taxonomic diversity, including: (1) basic works such as taxonomic and collection catalogs, (2) alpha-taxonomic revisions and descriptions of new species, (3) studies of diplopod higher classification and phylogeny, and (4) evolutionary studies that address the nature of millipede species delimitation and evolution of genitalia.
Training: The grant supported (1) one two-year postdoctoral fellowship (completed, Dr. J.E. Bond, now Associate Professor at East Carolina University, Greenville, North Carolina) and the training of 16 students: (2) three doctoral students [Paul Marek (Department of Biology, East Carolina University), Julian Bueno-Villegas (Instituto de Ecología, Xalapa, Mexico), and associated graduate Melissah Rowe (University of Chicago)], (3) four masters student interns: from the US (Bruce A. Snyder, University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, currently in a Ph.D. program at the University of Georgia), Germany (Thomas Wesener, Universität Bochum, currently in a Ph.D program at the University in Bonn),Taiwan (Chao-Chun Chen, National Sun Yat-Sen University) and Jamaica (Debbie Diana Devonish, University of the West Indies), and (4) nine undergraduate interns. Support from this grant was instrumental in the establishment of one new tenure-track curator position for the PI (Sierwald) at the Field Museum of Natural History (established 2000).
Computerization: (1) Field Museum's millipede collection and type catalog are computerized and databased. These will be made available online in the near future (Field Museum will convert its databases to KE EMu). (2) Electronic versions of the millipede genus catalog by Shelley et al., and the checklist of North American millipede species (by collaborator Dr. Richard Hoffman) are available through this web site. (3) Development of the web sites Milli-PEET (here) and www.myriapoda.org., (4) establishment of the Myriapod-Listserver (Myriapod@yhoogroups.com), and (5) a millipede identification key especially designed for non-millipede specialists and non-native English speakers; available here under MILLIPEDES MADE EASY.
 A supplement (NSF DEB-02-27440, with Co-PI Rüdiger Bieler) supported an NSF workshop exploring role and opportunities of Biological Collection Institutions (BCI) within NSF’s new program initiative NEON. The workshop was held June 14-16 2002 at the Field Museum in Chicago, with 28 participants from 15 Biological Collection Institutions. Final report (Sierwald et al. 2002) available as a downloadable pdf here:  147 KB.
|
 |
|
