Collaborative Research: Biodiversity, Phylogeny and Biogeography of Hornworts

0235985 Renzaglia作为最古老的陆生生物组合之一，金鱼藻对于了解早期陆地植物的生存和多样化至关重要。 在全世界范围内分布着大约150种，金鱼藻是微小的，不显眼的植物，即使是植物学家也知之甚少。 这些植物表现出独特和创新的方式来应对它们在陆地上的生存，包括将所有脆弱的器官置于营养组织内充满粘液的空腔中。 细胞的有趣特征包括一个孤立的叶绿体（光合细胞器），其结构让人想起藻类细胞。 对这些特征的详细研究将更全面地阐明藻类从水中过渡到陆地并最终产生陆地植物时发生的变化。 尽管它们在进化上的重要性和独特的特征，金鱼藻是少数几个主要的植物类群之一，尚未进行全面的科学研究。 这第一次检查角苔将提供一个肖像的生殖和生物多样性的组从全球的角度来看。 由阿克伦大学的Robert Duff博士和南伊利诺伊大学的Karen Renzaglia博士领导的这些植物专家的国际组合将为从多个地理区域收集的金鱼藻积累遗传和结构多样性信息。 目标是：1）通过生成和分析多个数据集来建立一个强大的金鱼藻系统发育; 2）根据系统发育分析建立的关系来产生一个修订的分类; 3）重建金鱼藻多样化的全球模式，特别是在澳大利亚大陆之间。 该计划将极大地扩展对这一广泛但相对模糊的具有重要进化意义的植物群体的了解，并将探索与生物多样性和生物复杂性有关的更多全球性问题。 该项目将对主要调查人员所在机构、社区内外的教育基础设施产生影响。 这两个PI都表现出坚定的承诺，为小学，高中，本科和研究生提供丰富和支持性的教育经验。 参与该项目的学生将体验广泛的专业活动，并将参与研究企业的各个方面。重点将放在吸引和指导来自代表性不足群体的学生。 该计划的国际部分将为学生提供资源和机会，以探索与来自不同文化和背景的学生和科学家的合作。 通过介绍、出版物和专门用于该计划的网站传播数据，将使国际科学界和公众对金鱼藻生物学的认识得到提高。 这项研究的结果将有助于为保护和环境管理决策提供信息，因为这些微小的古老植物的栖息地受到越来越多的威胁。

0235985RenzagliaAs one of the oldest living assemblages of terrestrial organisms, the hornworts are crucial to understanding the survival and diversification of early plants on land. With a worldwide distribution of approximately 150 species, the hornworts are tiny, inconspicuous plants that are poorly known, even by botanists. These plants exhibit unique and innovative means of coping with their existence on land, including positioning all vulnerable organs in mucilage-filled cavities that are nested within vegetative tissue. Intriguing features of the cell include a solitary chloroplast (photosynthetic organelle) that has an architecture reminiscent of algal cells. Detailed examination of such features will clarify more fully the changes that occurred when algae made the transition from water to land and ultimately gave rise to land plants. Despite their evolutionary importance and peculiar features, hornworts are among the few major groups of plants for which a comprehensive scientific study has yet to be conducted. This first examination of hornworts will provide a portrait of the phylogeny and biodiversity of the group from a global perspective. Information on genetic and structural diversity will be accumulated for hornworts collected from multiple geographic regions by an international assemblage of experts on these plants, headed by Dr. Robert Duff at University of Akron and Dr. Karen Renzaglia at Southern Illinois University. The goals are to: 1) establish a robust phylogeny of hornworts by generating and analyzing multiple data sets; 2) produce a revised classification based on the relationships established by the phylogenetic analyses; and 3) reconstruct global patterns of hornwort diversification and especially among the Australasian landmasses. The program will greatly expand knowledge of this widespread but relatively obscure group of evolutionarily significant plants, and will also explore more global issues relating to biological diversification and biocomplexity. This project will have an impact on the infrastructure of education within the principal investigators' institutions, communities and beyond. Both PIs have demonstrated a strong commitment to providing enriching and supportive educational experiences for elementary, high school, undergraduate and graduate students. Students involved in the project will experience a wide range of professional activities and will be involved in all aspects of the research enterprise. Emphasis will be placed on attracting and mentoring students from underrepresented groups. The international component of this proposed program will provide the resources and opportunities for students to explore collaboration with students and scientists from a diversity of cultures and backgrounds. By the dissemination of data through presentations, publications and a Web site dedicated to the program, awareness of hornwort biology will be extended to the international scientific community as well as the general public. The results of this study will be valuable for informing decisions on conservation and environmental management as the habitats of these tiny ancient plants become increasingly threatened.