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·泰普先生和迈克尔·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互动的进化。本研究以黑胡椒属和卡瓦胡椒属几种新大陆热带胡椒为研究对象，探讨这些植物与某些蚂蚁物种之间的互惠互利关系。蚂蚁保护植物免受食草动物和真菌的感染，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。除了专门的群丛外，一些胡椒属物种有时才有常驻蚂蚁，还有一些物种从来没有发现过蚂蚁。对这一连续体中物种之间关系的理解将有助于洞察导致蚂蚁和一些胡椒属物种之间高度专业化关系的进化模式。为此，这项研究将分子系统发育学与蚂蚁协会中涉及的植物结构的比较解剖学相结合。相互作用在绝大多数生物的进化中非常重要，即使不是所有的生物，也是当今看到的生物多样性的主要原因。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好处知之甚少。例如，胡椒属植物被热带地区的许多传统文化用来治疗从龋齿到内部寄生虫等各种疾病，但这些好处背后的生物化学仍有待研究。要准确有效地研究这些植物的效益，可靠的分类是必不可少的。除了更好地了解这些独特生物的进化模式外，这项研究还将导致对一个鲜为人知的大型属的分类。

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.