rmca-albertine-rift-cichlids

African Cichlid Fish database is part of the ENBI WP13 feasiblity study "Albertian Rift" (Collaborative project between the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, the Royal Museum for Central Africa and the National Botanical Garden). The data portal for the Albertine Rift study can be found at http://projects.bebif.be/enbi/albertinerift/common . This data base deals with the following research topic: Evolutionary histories of organisms and affects of palaeoclimatic changes: Species flocks of ancient freshwater lakes: African cichlid fishes (lakes Tanganyika, Malawi, Victoria and Kivu). Our primary area of interest is the study of the evolution of the cichlid species flocks from the East African Rift lakes. We investigate their phylogenesis, speciation, and the influence of lake level changes on their evolution. We also study the genetic structure of cichlid populations and the role of past and recent ecological barriers that determine population substructuring. Finally, we use molecular phylogenies to elucidate evolutionary patterns of morphological change and population genetic data to analyse the consequences of fisheries and environmental degradation. These approaches require both extensive field and laboratory phases of investigation. Our current research is based on an extensive tissue collection for cichlids from lakes Victoria, Kivu, Tanganyika and Malawi and uses mitochondrial and nuclear molecular markers to address evolutionary problems on selected taxa from these species flocks.非洲慈鲷鱼类数据库（African Cichlid Fish Database）隶属于ENBI WP13可行性研究项目“阿尔伯特裂谷（Albertian Rift）”，该项目由比利时皇家自然科学研究所、皇家非洲博物馆与比利时国家植物园联合实施。 阿尔伯特裂谷研究项目的数据门户网站可通过以下地址访问：http://projects.bebif.be/enbi/albertinerift/common 本数据库围绕以下研究主题展开：生物演化历史与古气候变化的影响——古代淡水湖物种群：非洲慈鲷（分布于坦噶尼喀湖、马拉维湖、维多利亚湖与基伍湖）。 本研究的核心关注方向为东非大裂谷湖泊中的慈鲷物种群演化。我们将对其系统发育、物种形成过程，以及湖泊水位变化对其演化的影响展开研究。同时，我们还将分析慈鲷种群的遗传结构，以及影响种群亚结构形成的古今生态屏障所发挥的作用。最后，我们将借助分子系统发育分析阐明形态演化的模式，并利用种群遗传数据解析渔业活动与环境退化所带来的后果。上述研究路径需开展大规模野外调查与实验室研究两个阶段的工作。目前，我们的研究依托来自维多利亚湖、基伍湖、坦噶尼喀湖与马拉维湖的大规模慈鲷组织样本库，并采用线粒体与核分子标记，针对上述物种群中的特定分类群解析演化相关问题。