Diversification and Biogeography of Lasiopetaleae [Malvaceae] and the History of the Southwestern Australian Flora

澳大利亚西南角因其多样而独特的植物群而被指定为生物多样性热点。 超过5400种植物生长在一个面积相当于新墨西哥州的地区，其中79%的植物只生长在澳大利亚西南部。 尽管这种植物学的重要性，这种独特的植物群的起源和历史还没有得到深入研究。 在芭芭拉·惠特洛克博士和卡罗琳·威尔金斯博士的这一项目中，一组植物，天鹅绒灌木或Lasiopetaleae，被用作了解澳大利亚西南部植物群的起源，历史和多样性的模型。 毛瓣花科包括十个属和大约180种灌木和乔木，置于锦葵或棉花科锦葵科。 它们遍布澳大利亚，但在西南部特别多样化。第一步是利用DNA序列、形态学和解剖学的信息来确定所有的Lasiopetaleae物种是如何相互关联的。 这些关系被描绘成一棵进化树，或称为进化树。 这涉及到在澳大利亚各地进行广泛的实地考察，以寻找和收集来自100多种Lasiopetaleae的标本。 一旦了解了群体的起源，它将被用来了解群体的起源以及地质事件如何塑造群体内的进化。它也将被用来确定西南部的植物群是否如此多样化，因为那里的进化发生得更快。 三种方法将被用来检查进化的速度：（1）物种形成，或新物种的形成;（2）DNA突变;（3）形态学和解剖学。一旦计算出这些比率，就可以将它们与生长在澳大利亚其他地区的Lasiopetaleae以及世界其他地方的其他植物群进行比较。 总之，这些措施将揭示导致澳大利亚西南部高度多样性的潜在进化过程。 这项研究将产生的假设，以后将被用来作为一个框架，为未来的研究澳大利亚西南部的其他群体的植物，从而更全面地了解生物多样性热点的起源。 为该项目收集的新标本可能会导致对新物种的认识，并显着扩大对澳大利亚生物多样性的了解。它们将允许确定稀有物种的地位，从而做出更明智的保护决定。为了确保尽可能广泛地分享发现和结果，包括数码照片在内的标本信息将输入在线数据库。 这将有助于将结果传播给非科学界，并使人们更好地欣赏西澳大利亚植物群。 此外，该项目还将加强美国和澳大利亚科学家之间的沟通和知识交流。它将促进系统生物学教育，在澳大利亚培训学生实地方法，并在迈阿密大学培训一名分子生物学技术研究生。 该项目还将扩大两名处于职业生涯早期阶段的妇女对系统生物学的参与。

The southwestern corner of Australia is designated a biodiversity hotspot because of its diverse and unique flora. Over 5400 species of plants grow in an area the size of New Mexico; 79% of these species are found only in southwestern Australia. Despite this botanical importance, the origins and history of this unique flora have not been studied intensively. In this project by Dr. Barbara Whitlock and Dr. Carolyn Wilkins, one group of plants, the velvet bushes or Lasiopetaleae, is used as a model to understand the origins, history, and diversity of the southwestern Australian flora. Lasiopetaleae include ten genera and about 180 species of shrubs and trees, placed in the mallow or cotton family Malvaceae. They are found throughout Australia but are especially diverse in the southwest. The first step is to determine how all the species of Lasiopetaleae are related to each other using information from DNA sequences, morphology, and anatomy. These relationships are portrayed as an evolutionary tree, or phylogeny. This involves extensive fieldwork throughout Australia to find and collect specimens from 100+ species of Lasiopetaleae. Once the phylogeny is known, it will be used to understand where the group originated and how geologic events have shaped evolution within the group. It will also be used to determine if the southwestern flora is so diverse because evolution occurs more rapidly there. Three measures will be used to examine the rate of evolution: (1) speciation, or the formation of new species; (2) DNA mutations; and (3) morphology and anatomy. Once these rates are calculated, they can be compared to Lasiopetaleae growing in other regions of Australia and to other groups of plants elsewhere in the world. Together, these measures will shed light on the underlying evolutionary processes that led to the high diversity in southwestern Australia. This study will generate hypotheses that will later be used as a framework for future studies of other groups of southwestern Australian plants, leading to a fuller understanding of the origin of a biodiversity hotspot. The new specimens that will be collected for this project will likely result in the recognition of new species and expand knowledge of the biodiversity of Australia significantly. They will allow for the status of rare species to be determined, resulting in more informed conservation decisions. To insure that discoveries and results are shared as widely as possible, information on specimens including digital photographs will be entered into an online database. This will help disseminate results to the nonscientific community and lead to a greater appreciation of the Western Australian flora. In addition, this project will strengthen communication and intellectual exchange among American and Australian scientists. It will promote education in systematic biology by training students in field methods in Australia, and a graduate student in molecular biology techniques at the University of Miami. This project will also broaden the participation in systematic biology of two women who are at early stages in their careers.