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

本项目从两个不同的角度探讨Capparaceae植物的花形态进化：(1)系谱或系统发育关系；(2)发育生物学。利用DNA序列和形态的差异，分析了该科及其近亲芸苔科（芥菜科）的系谱关系。这一分析将为两个非洲属的更详细研究提供框架，包括密集的野外工作和花蕾发育研究。利用从模式生物拟南芥（芸苔科）中收集到的丰富知识，发育模式将导致对可能的基因的明确假设的形成，这些基因可能负责较小规模的花形态变化。还将进行授粉实地研究，以评估传粉者在花形态变化中可能起的作用。我们对植物的系统发育关系和花的发育遗传学的认识有了很大的进展。一般来说，这些领域是彼此独立发展的。系统发生学是探索花形态进化的有力工具，同时，发育研究为模式生物花形态的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.