Dissertation Research: Systematics and Biogeography of the Neotropical Genus Psiguria (Cucurbitaceae)

Psiguria是黄瓜科新热带藤本植物的一个属，分布在中美洲和南美洲之间，包括两个地质复杂的加勒比海岛屿特有的物种。这些岛屿具有惊人的生物多样性水平，但关于生物群的分类、进化和地理历史的研究严重缺乏以植物为重点的研究。Psiguria与它的传粉者Helconius蝴蝶有着互惠互利的关系，使其成为研究共同进化的模式系统。蝴蝶的进化史已经被提出，但植物的进化史是缺乏的。这项研究将提供Psiguria的系统发育，然后检验共同进化的假说。这项研究将为解决生物地理史提供基础，并为生态学家和进化生物学家解决有关植物-昆虫相互作用的重要问题提供一个系统发育框架，其结果将提供超越Psiguria系统学的重要科学贡献。系统发育框架将为生态学家和进化生物学家提供一个基础，以提出关于生物网络中众多相关生物的问题，包括与农业病虫科昆虫物种的相互作用。通过研究这些相互作用所获得的知识将增加我们对昆虫与黄瓜家族中具有重要农业意义的成员之间的相关负面相互作用的理解。对本科生的培训和与K-12教育项目的互动将使学生接触到热带美洲的进化和保护研究。

Psiguria is a genus of Neotropical vines in the cucumber family with a distribution between Central and South America, including two species endemic to the geologically complex Caribbean islands. These islands have strikingly high levels of biotic diversity, but studies on the classification, evolution, and geographic history of the biota are seriously deficient in those focusing on plants. Psiguria has a mutualistic association with its pollinators, Heliconius butterflies, making it a model system for investigating co-evolution. An evolutionary history of the butterflies has been proposed, but is lacking for the plants. This study will provide a phylogeny for Psiguria and then test hypotheses of co-evolution. This study will provide a basis for resolving biogeographic history and a phylogenetic framework for ecologists and evolutionary biologists to address important questions about plant-insect interactions.The results will provide important scientific contributions beyond the systematics of Psiguria. The phylogenetic framework will provide a basis for ecologists and evolutionary biologists to ask questions about the multitude of associated organisms in the biological network including interactions with insect species in agricultural pest families. Knowledge gained from studying these interactions will add to our understanding of the related negative insect interactions with agriculturally important members of the cucumber family. Training of undergraduate students and interaction with a K-12 education program will expose students to research on evolution and conservation in tropical America.