Dissertation Research - Molecular Phylogeny of Cuphea P. Browne (Lythraceae) in North America: Evolution of Floral Morphology, Chromosome Number, and Seed Oil Composition

传粉者的专业化被认为推动了植物的多样化和进化辐射。最近，生态学家批评了花的形状与特定传粉者直接相关的概念，因为花可能会受到几种传粉者的访问。产于北美的Cuphea属植物是检验多样性理论的理想植物，因为它们表现出广泛的花形态、授粉症状和染色体数量，并出现在不同的生境中。Cuphea物种也很感兴趣，因为它们的种子油变化很大，作为牲畜饲料、洗涤剂、化妆品和生物柴油燃料的成分在世界范围内具有重要意义。这项研究将提供一个框架，使研究人员能够分析花形态、授粉症状、染色体数量的进化模式，并测试生态对种子油成分的影响。这项研究将确定农业研究人员可能感兴趣的密切相关物种，并为了解乌贼属遗传变异的本质提供见解。该项目将在圣路易斯大学、密苏里植物园和佐治亚大学之间建立合作关系，并为研究生和几名本科生提供分类学、分子系统发生学和生化分析方面的培训。

Pollinator specialization is believed to drive plant diversification and evolutionary radiation. Recently, ecologists have criticized the concept that a flower's shape is directly related to a specific pollinator because flowers may receive visits from several kinds of pollinators. Species of the genus Cuphea in North America are ideal plants to test diversification theories because they exhibit a wide range of floral morphology, pollination syndromes, and chromosome numbers and occur in different habitats. Cuphea species are also of interest due to the great variation in their seed oils which have worldwide importance as ingredients in livestock feed, detergents, cosmetics and biodiesel fuel. A molecular phylogeny of North American Cuphea will provide a framework that will enable the investigators to analyze evolutionary patterns in floral morphology, pollination syndromes, chromosome numbers, and test the influence of ecology on seed oil composition.This study will identify closely related species that may be of interest to agricultural researchers and provide insights into the nature of genetic variation in Cuphea. This project will build collaborations between Saint Louis University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the University of Georgia and provide training for the graduate co-PI and several undergraduates in taxonomy, molecular phylogenetics, and biochemical analysis.