Phylogenetic Systematics and Biogeography of Asclepias

马利筋的系统发育系统学和生物地理学

• 批准号: 0415213
• 负责人: Mark Fishbein
• 金额: $ 32.71万
• 依托单位: Mississippi State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-09-01 至 2006-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0415213&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Phylogenetic; Systematics; Biogeography; Asclepias

0415213Fishbein Milkweeds are well known flowering plants of temperate North America. They have been widely studied by pollination biologists, evolutionary biologists, and chemical ecologists, and have served as a model system in studies of plant-insect coevolution. They are perhaps best known as the host plant of the Monarch butterfly - the discovery of the role of cardiac glycosides produced by milkweeds and sequestered by Monarchs for use against avian predators was a classic development in evolutionary ecology. However, research on milkweed species relationships has lagged far behind the tremendous progress in studies of the population biology and chemistry of milkweeds. A much deeper understanding of well-studied ecological and evolutionary processes and the ability to assess the generality of these phenomena will be gained from this investigation of the phylogenetic relationships among milkweed species. Research by Dr. Mark Fishbein at Mississippi State University will result in an improved classification of the milkweed genus (Asclepias), analyses of past and current hybridization, and elucidation of the biogeographic link between North American and African species. The inferred phylogeny of Asclepias will be used as a framework for answering several key evolutionary and biogeographic questions: 1) Are all American milkweeds derived from a single African colonist, or are several ancestrally African lineages represented among the American species?, 2) Did milkweeds arrive in North America via a North Atlantic crossing or via South America?, and 3) Is there evidence for past hybridization and introgression between morphologically disparate species that are no longer capable of hybridization? Elucidating the evolutionary history of Asclepias will give important insights into a group that has given rise to ubiquitous weeds and some of the rarest species in North America. It also will provide a crucial basis for future studies of the coevolution of milkweeds and their specialist insect herbivores. The results of this project will likely impact disciplines beyond systematics, evolution, and ecology. Milkweeds are increasingly being used in horticulture as garden perennials and cut flowers. Increased understanding of milkweed relationships will foster development of new horticultural materials by identifying close relatives of cultivated species that can be grown using established protocols. Studies of plant chemistry based on milkweeds will be enhanced, especially research targeting pesticide development. Because of the importance of Asclepias species as the primary host plant of the Monarch butterfly, this project will contribute to the conservation of threatened Monarch butterfly populations. Field and laboratory work with Mexican colleague Zamudio Ruiz and British colleague D. J. Goyder will enhance international collaboration. In addition, the PI is developing milkweed as a model system for understanding how hybridization occurs between species, which is critical for understanding the ecological impacts of genetically modified organisms. This project will significantly impact graduate and undergraduate training in molecular systematics and evolutionary biology. Mississippi State University provides an excellent opportunity to increase the research opportunities of underrepresented groups in biological sciences. Students will present the results of their research at regional and national meetings.

0415213鱼牛是北美温带的众所周知的开花植物。他们已经通过授粉生物学家，进化生物学家和化学生态学家对它们进行了广泛的研究，并在植物 - 融合进化研究的研究中曾是模型系统。它们也许是君主蝴蝶的宿主植物 - 发现了牛奶草生产的心脏糖苷的作用，并被君主隔离供禽捕食者使用，这是进化生态学的经典发展。然而，对乳草物种关系的研究远远落后于种群生物学和乳草化学研究的巨大进步。从对乳草物种之间的系统发育关系的调查中，将获得对研究充分的生态和进化过程的更深入的了解以及评估这些现象的通用性的能力。密西西比州立大学的马克·菲什贝因（Mark Fishbein）博士的研究将改善对米毛属属（Asclepias）的分类，过去和当前杂交的分析以及阐明北美和非洲物种之间生物地理联系的分析。推断的Asclepias的系统发育将被用作回答几个关键进化和生物地理问题的框架：1）所有的美国乳草是源自单一的非洲殖民者，或者是美国物种所代表的几个非洲血统，是在美国的北美地区和北美地区的北美地区，以及3）是在南美的情况下以及3）。不再能够杂交的形态不同的物种？阐明Asclepias的进化史将为一个引起无处不在的杂草和北美一些最稀有物种的群体提供重要的见解。它还将为将来对乳草的共同进化及其专业昆虫食草动物的共同进化提供至关重要的基础。 该项目的结果可能会影响超出系统，进化和生态的学科。牛奶草越来越多地用作花园多年生植物和切花。通过确定可以使用既定的方案来生长的耕种物种的近亲，对乳草关系的了解将促进新的园艺材料的发展。基于乳草的植物化学研究将得到增强，尤其是针对农药发展的研究。由于Asclepias物种是君主蝴蝶的主要宿主植物的重要性，该项目将有助于保护受威胁的君主蝴蝶种群。与墨西哥同事扎穆迪奥·鲁伊斯（Zamudio Ruiz）和英国同事D. J. Goyder的实地和实验室工作将增强国际合作。此外，PI正在开发乳草作为一种模型系统，以了解杂交在物种之间的发生，这对于理解转基因生物的生态影响至关重要。该项目将显着影响分子系统学和进化生物学的研究生和本科培训。密西西比州立大学提供了一个绝佳的机会，可以增加生物科学中代表性不足的群体的研究机会。学生将在区域和国家会议上介绍他们的研究结果。