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1999
Therevid PEET Progress Report
The
PEET program has three fundamental goals: 1) training the next generation
of taxonomists, 2) electronic information management and dissemination,
and 3) monography. We are privileged to have both NSF and Schlinger
Foundation support to undertake these intermeshing goals.
1.
Training. The training component of this PEET, although multifaceted,
is directed primarily towards educating a new generation of Diptera
systematics. Those being trained at the University of Illinois at
UrbanaChampaign (UIUC) are under the supervision of Irwin,
those at North Carolina State University (NCSU) are under Wiegmann,
and those at The University of Queensland (UQ) are under Yeates.
Graduate students benefit from frequent exchanges among the localities:
learning molecular phylogenetics with Wiegmann and morphological
and biological aspects with Irwin and Yeates, database training
with Irwin, and collecting strategies during field expeditions.
1A.
Degree
1B.
Informal
1C.
Non-degree
1D.
Internships
2.
Electronic Information Management and Dissemination. Electronic
information management is the keystone of our PEET project. It permeates
all aspects of study and structures our efforts. The management
component includes the development of MANDALA, our comprehensive
database system; entering and verifying data on specimen, label,
nomenclatural, and loan information into the system; output, data
management, and report structuring; interactive keys; linkages to
the internet; and networking. Beyond that, considerable effort has
been expended to develop an interactive WWW site that can handle
selected portions of the MANDALA database and communicate our activities
and findings to multiple client groups.
2A.
Developing MANDALA
2B.
Data Capture & Verification
2C.
Output, Data Manipulation, and Report Structuring
2D.
Interactive Keys
2E.
Linkages to the Internet
2F.
Networking
3.
Monography. Monography needs material for study, and embraces
cladistic analyses and inference (including characterizing the lineage
of that clade), differentiating among the taxa being treated, and
entails illustrating taxa and character states, gaining a knowledge
of therevid bioecology, and disseminating knowledge. The last step
is highlighted in "Electronic Information Management and
Dissemination"" and "Grant Products."
Manuscripts of monographs are just beginning to emerge; the next
year-and-a-half should witness the production of several large monographs.
3A.
Obtaining Study Material
3B.
Cladistic Analyses & Inference
3C.
Monographing Taxa
3D.
Differentiating Among Treated Taxa
3E.
Illustrating Taxa & Character States
3F.
Gaining a Knowledge of Therevid Bioecology
3G.
Disseminating Knowledge
Grant
Products
Other
NSF PEET Reports
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