Integration of Morphological and Molecular Approach for Ostracod Species Identification
Poster Number
21B
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Ostracods are a class of Crustacea that inhabit a variety of aquatic environments, ranging from freshwater lakes to deep sea. They are often used as environmental indicators of pollution and freshwater intrusion through the assessment of their species ratio, valve morphology and composition. While their significance in environmental monitoring is well-established, their identification poses challenges. The primary method for ostracod species identification is the morphological approach using dichotomous keys. However, this approach has limitations. Keys are generally created by a single expert based on historical descriptions and decades-old preserved samples. They also require all key features to be intact and identifiable. To generate an easy and accessible key for ostracod species identification, our goal is to develop a new approach where naive morphological measurements are combined with molecular barcoding. By examining the variable and conserved regions of DNA, a unique barcode for each ostracod species can be found and used as a tool to identify different species in our morphological database. We can then use Machine Learning techniques to extract sets of morphological features that identify each species. This is an improvement over the key approach in two ways. First, the barcode acts as a "ground truth" for classifying individuals at the species level, improving accuracy without the limitation of subjective morphological interpretation. Second, a set of measurements covering five limbs is more accessible to a wide range of researchers interested in ostracods. By advancing the identification method, our study facilitates more comprehensive research on the ecology, environment, and evolution of these crustaceans, enhancing our understanding of their biological roles and applications.
Location
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Start Date
27-4-2024 10:30 AM
End Date
27-4-2024 12:30 PM
Integration of Morphological and Molecular Approach for Ostracod Species Identification
Don and Karen DeRosa University Center (DUC) Poster Hall
Ostracods are a class of Crustacea that inhabit a variety of aquatic environments, ranging from freshwater lakes to deep sea. They are often used as environmental indicators of pollution and freshwater intrusion through the assessment of their species ratio, valve morphology and composition. While their significance in environmental monitoring is well-established, their identification poses challenges. The primary method for ostracod species identification is the morphological approach using dichotomous keys. However, this approach has limitations. Keys are generally created by a single expert based on historical descriptions and decades-old preserved samples. They also require all key features to be intact and identifiable. To generate an easy and accessible key for ostracod species identification, our goal is to develop a new approach where naive morphological measurements are combined with molecular barcoding. By examining the variable and conserved regions of DNA, a unique barcode for each ostracod species can be found and used as a tool to identify different species in our morphological database. We can then use Machine Learning techniques to extract sets of morphological features that identify each species. This is an improvement over the key approach in two ways. First, the barcode acts as a "ground truth" for classifying individuals at the species level, improving accuracy without the limitation of subjective morphological interpretation. Second, a set of measurements covering five limbs is more accessible to a wide range of researchers interested in ostracods. By advancing the identification method, our study facilitates more comprehensive research on the ecology, environment, and evolution of these crustaceans, enhancing our understanding of their biological roles and applications.
