Climate change and anthropogenic alterations to the environment have created fundamental shifts in ecosystems across the globe, concurrent with a dramatic loss of biodiversity. Although insects comprise most of the biodiversity in Animalia, there are estimated to be several million species yet to be identified and relatively less information on how rapid environmental change affects insect biodiversity and the morphological adaptations that correlate with environmental change. West Africa is thought to be one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to the effects of anthropogenic environmental change and loss in biodiversity. However, there remains a paucity of information on insect species and their distribution in the region, how rapid environmental change affects those assemblages, and the morphological adaptations that may allow insects to adapt to a changing environment This collaborative IRES project will run from June through August, roughly 8 weeks, with specific dates contingent on participants' school schedules. For 4-5 weeks, students will engage in intensive field work in Ghana, collecting and cataloguing dragonfly species and environmental variables across three ecozones. Students will then return to the American Museum of Natural History and/or Penn State for an additional 4 weeks to curate specimens and analyze the optical and physical wing characteristics and neural attributes of the specimens. Students must be prepared to work on a team with other students and fully commit to the entire summer program. The program will provide international travel costs, housing while in Ghana and New York City, and $600/week stipend during the official duration of the program (~8 weeks). Students will be responsible for paying for food during the program, and pre- and post-departure costs (e.g., vaccinations, visa, passport, domestic flights).
Odonata, dragonflies, climate change, Ghana, IRES, undergraduate students, Penn State, American Museum of Natural History, University of Cape Coast, adaptations, wing morphology, museum curation, neurobiology, biodiversity
Required: Applicants must be 1) U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or permanent residents of the United States, 2) be in good academic standing and currently enrolled in an undergraduate 4-year degree program, and 3) have undergraduate status at the time of travel.
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