National Science Foundation Grant to Fund Biology Research in the Amazon

ASU’s grant comes through a subaward from California State Polytechnic University (Cal Poly), Humboldt for the joint project titled “BRC-BIO Marajó: The Origin and Evolution of Vertebrate Diversity in the Planet’s Largest Fluvial Island.”

The project will entail field collections of specimens from different groups of small vertebrates at four locations on Marajó Island, as well as the acquisition of genomic data for specimens of the target species from across the Amazon Basin. The genomic data will come from the collected samples and from historical material available at various natural history museums.

Dr. Edson Abreu, assistant professor of biology and curator of mammals for the Angelo State Natural History Collections (ASNHC), will lead the ASU efforts as the project’s co-principal investigator. He will also mentor ASU undergraduate and graduate students through their participation in the project.

Dr. Edson Abreu “We will perform phylogenetic inferences, population genetic analyses, and demographic and migration tests to understand how and when vertebrate species colonized the Marajó Island – and how their populations are currently structured among its different landscapes,” Abreu said. “The project will build research and training capacity for the faculty involved. It will also achieve broader impact by creating training opportunities for field sampling in the tropics, genomic data acquisition, and analytical approaches for ASU undergraduate and graduate students from various socio-economic backgrounds. These types of hands-on experiences are invaluable when the students prepare to start their careers or apply to graduate school.”

The total NSF grant funding for the project is $463,000. Though Cal Poly, Humboldt received a larger share of the grant, it still benefits Abreu and his students as all the field work expenses and costs for DNA sequencing will come from Cal Poly, Humboldt’s project budget.

The project is being undertaken because basic information on species composition, distribution and evolutionary history remains fragmentary for vast portions of the planet, including the Amazon, the planet’s largest and most diverse rainforest. Information on evolutionary history and the dynamics of species occupation in different environments can also advance the understanding of how groups of species can adapt to global change, facilitating the management of biodiversity and conservation strategies.

Dr. Edson Abreu in the ASNHC Mammals Collection Additionally, the project will foster the establishment of a Historical DNA Lab at Cal Poly, Humboldt and provide additional specimen samples for the ASNHC. These resources will be utilized in current and future research and education projects that explore biodiversity locally and abroad, as well as to showcase the importance of such collections for science and society.

The project will also be a continuation of work in the Amazon for Abreu. He and Aramide Oladiran, an ASU biology student from Midland, completed a month-long research trip along the Purus River in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest this summer, collecting specimens of rare animals as part of a 14-member expedition that also included faculty and researchers from several Brazilian universities and research institutes.