Dissertation Research: Floral Evolution and Systematics of the Plant Family Capparaceae

这个项目从两个不同的角度探索山柑科植物的花形态进化：(1)谱系或系统发育关系；(2)发育生物学。利用DNA序列和形态上的差异，分析该科与其近缘十字花科(芥菜科)之间的亲缘关系。这一分析将为更详细地研究两个非洲属提供框架，需要对花蕾进行深入的田野工作和发育研究。利用从模式生物拟南芥(十字花科)收集到的丰富知识，发育模式将导致对可能导致花型较小规模变化的可能基因的明确假设。还将进行传粉实地研究，以评估传粉者在花型变化中可能扮演的角色。我们对植物的系统发育关系和花的发育遗传学的认识已经有了很大的进步。总的来说，这些领域的发展是相互独立的。系统发育学是探索花型进化的有力工具，同时，发育研究为模式生物的花型变化提供了一个遗传模型。这些领域的结合使得探索形态变异进化的潜在遗传机制成为可能。

0073204Sytsma & HallThis project explores evolution of floral morphology in the plant family Capparaceae from two different perspectives: (1) genealogy or phylogenetic relationships and (2) developmental biology. Using differences in DNA sequences and morphology, genealogical relationships within this family and its close relative Brassicaceae (mustard family) will be analyzed. This analysis will provide the framework for more detailed studies of two African genera, entailing intensive field work and developmental studies of floral buds. Patterns of development will lead to formulation of explicit hypotheses of possible genes that may be responsible for smaller scale changes in floral form, utlizing the wealth of knowledge gleaned from the model organism, Arabidopsis (Brassicaceae). Pollination field studies will also be conducted to evaluate roles that pollinators may have in changes in floral form. There have been great advances made in our knowledge of phylogenetic relationships of plants and on developmental genetics of flowers. In general, these fields have evolved independently of one another. Phylogenies are powerful tools for exploring evolution of floral form and, at the same time, developmental studies provide a genetic model for changes in floral forms of model organisms. Combination of these fields permits exploration of underlying genetic mechanisms for evolution of morphological variation.