Project:

Diversity of Tarantulas

Students:

Zury Sy, Lily Malloy, Ava Reehil, Theresa Talmage

School:

Eastport South Manor Junior Senior High School, Suffolk

Mentors:

Rachel Neville

Abstract:

In the study of tarantulas, we have limited knowledge of species diversity since many species look physically similar due to convergent evolution (they live in similar but isolated habitats and have similar adaptations). For our project we are using the molts of different tarantula species to find their DNA barcode. This project is meant to create a strong collection of Tarantula DNA barcodes. Our intended methods include silica DNA extraction. We expect to find the DNA barcodes for the various tarantula species we are examining. Measuring and maintaining biodiversity plays a crucial role in the survival of an ecosystem. The stability of an ecosystem is dependent on its biodiversity. The better we can understand an ecosystem's biodiversity, the more we can help that ecosystem thrive. Samples are obtained through the Cold Spring Harbor Lab and processed using standard silica DNA barcoding techniques. The tarantulas will then be identified using these methods. We expect to identify sever

Poster:

Team samples:

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