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

迈阿密大学的Linda Watson博士、Eric Tepe先生和Michael Vincent博士获得了一笔资金，用于研究蚂蚁与植物之间共生相互作用的进化。本研究以黑胡椒属胡椒和卡瓦属的几种新世界热带植物胡椒为研究对象，探讨了这些植物与某些蚂蚁物种之间的互惠互利相互作用。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。这种关系对这两种生物都很重要，因为蚂蚁和植物都不能在没有对方的情况下生存。除了有专门的联系外，有些种类有时才有常驻蚂蚁，还有一些种类从未发现有蚂蚁。对这一连续体中物种之间关系的理解将使我们深入了解导致蚂蚁和某些物种之间高度专业化关系的进化模式。为此，本研究将分子系统发育与蚂蚁关联中涉及的植物结构的比较解剖学相结合。互惠的相互作用在绝大多数生物的进化中都很重要，即使不是所有的生物，也是今天我们看到的大部分生物多样性的原因。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，在整个热带地区的许多传统文化中，胡椒被用作医药，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原理仍有待研究。为了准确有效地研究这些植物的益处，一个可靠的分类是必不可少的。这项研究将导致一个大而鲜为人知的属的分类，除了更好地了解这些独特生物的进化模式。

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.