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

0073204 Sytsma Hall本项目从两个不同的角度探讨了植物科山柑科花形态的进化：（1）系谱或系统发育关系和（2）发育生物学。 利用DNA序列和形态的差异，在这个家庭和它的近亲属芥菜科（芥菜科）的系谱关系进行了分析。 这一分析将提供两个非洲属的更详细的研究框架，需要密集的实地工作和花芽的发育研究。 发展模式将导致制定明确的假设，可能是负责较小规模的变化，花的形式，利用丰富的知识，从模式生物，拟南芥（拟南芥科）。 还将进行传粉者实地研究，以评估传粉者在花卉形态变化中可能发挥的作用。植物系统发育关系和花的发育遗传学研究取得了很大进展。 总的来说，这些领域是相互独立发展的。 系统发育是研究花型进化的有力工具，同时，发育研究为模式生物花型变化提供了遗传模型。 这些领域的结合允许探索形态变异进化的潜在遗传机制。

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.