DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolution of a novel floral organ in Dipsacaceae: consequences for dispersal and diversification

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Evolution of a novel floral organ in Dipsacaceae: Consequences for dispersal and diversificationThis project is designed to elucidate the origin and consequences of morphological novelty using the flowering plant group Dipsacaceae (Dipsacales) as a study system. Dipsacaceae are characterized by an "epicalyx," a novel organ that subtends the flower and functions in fruit dispersal. Much of the diversity in Dipsacaceae relates directly to the epicalyx and different morphologies are associated with different dispersal mechanisms. These observations suggest that the epicalyx functioned as a "key innovation" that spurred the adaptive radiation of the Dipsacaceae around the Mediterranean basin. A detailed molecular phylogenetic study of the Dipsacaceae will be conducted to critically test this "key innovation" hypothesis, while also taking into account the possible influence of biogeography on the evolution of morphological characters and the rate of diversification. This study will provide key phylogenetic information for a morphologically unusual and understudied group within the Dipsacales. This will yield an excellent sampling of Dipsacales as a whole and provide a valuable model for exploring a wide range of macroevolutionary issues. This project will expand collaborative ties with Italian colleagues and provide the Co-PI with training in a wide variety of rapdily developing analytical techniques that will allow her to work across traditional disciplines