DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of Ant Mutualisms in Piper: Morphological and Molecular Evidence

迈阿密大学的琳达沃森博士、埃里克·特佩先生和迈克尔·文森特博士获得了一笔赠款，用于研究蚂蚁和植物之间共生相互作用的进化。 这项研究的重点是几个新的世界热带物种的胡椒，黑胡椒和卡瓦胡椒属，并探讨互惠互利的相互作用，这些植物物种与某些蚂蚁物种。 蚂蚁保护植物免受食草动物和真菌感染，以换取植物提供的筑巢空间和营养。 这种关系对两种生物都很重要，因为蚂蚁和植物都不能在没有对方的情况下生存。除了专门的协会，一些种类的Piper只有偶尔有居民蚂蚁，还有一些物种从未发现蚂蚁。 在这个连续体中物种之间的关系的理解将允许洞察进化模式，导致蚂蚁和一些物种的风笛之间的高度专业化的关系。 为此，本研究将分子遗传学与植物结构的比较解剖学相结合，研究蚂蚁的共生关系。互利互动在绝大多数生物的进化中是重要的，如果不是所有生物的话，并且是今天所看到的生物多样性的很大一部分。 尽管如此，令人惊讶的是，人们对大多数热带植物的特性和潜在益处知之甚少。 例如，在整个热带地区，许多传统文化都将胡椒属的物种用作药用，用于治疗从蛀牙到体内寄生虫等疾病，但这些益处背后的生物化学仍有待研究。 为了准确有效地研究这些植物的益处，可靠的分类是必不可少的。 这项研究将导致一个大的和鲜为人知的属的分类，除了更好地了解这些独特的生物体的进化模式。

A grant has been awarded to Dr. Linda Watson, Mr. Eric Tepe and Dr. Michael Vincent at Miami University to study the evolution of symbiotic interactions between ants and plants. This study focuses on several New World tropical species of Piper, the genus of black pepper and kava, and explores the mutualistically beneficial interactions these plant species have with certain ant species. The ants protect the plants against herbivores and fungal infection in exchange for plant-provided nesting space and nutrients. This relationship is important for both organisms because neither the ants nor the plants are able to survive in the absence of the other. In addition to specialized associations, some species of Piper have resident ants only sometimes, and still other species are never found with ants. An understanding of relationships between species in this continuum will allow insights into the evolutionary patterns that lead to the highly specialized relationships between ants and some species of Piper. To this end, this study integrates molecular phylogenetics with comparative anatomy of the plant structures involved in the ant associations.Mutualistic interactions are important in the evolution of a vast majority, if not all organisms, and are responsible for a large part of the biodiversity seen today. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the properties and potential benefits of most tropical plants. As an example, species of Piper are used medicinally by a number of traditional cultures throughout the tropics against maladies ranging from tooth decay to internal parasites, but the biochemistry behind these benefits remains to be studied. To study the benefits of these plants accurately and effectively, a reliable classification is essential. This study will result in a classification of a large and poorly known genus, in addition to a better understanding of the evolutionary patterns of these unique organisms.