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

Psiguria是黄瓜科中的一个新热带藤本植物属，分布在中美洲和南美洲之间，包括地质复杂的加勒比群岛特有的两个物种。这些岛屿具有惊人的高水平的生物多样性，但对生物群的分类，进化和地理历史的研究严重缺乏那些专注于植物的研究。Psiguria与其传粉者Heliconius蝴蝶有互利关系，使其成为研究共同进化的模型系统。蝴蝶的进化史已经提出，但缺乏植物。这项研究将提供一个Psiguria的进化史，然后测试共同进化的假设。本研究将为生态学家和进化生物学家解决植物-昆虫相互作用的重要问题提供一个系统发育框架和解决地理历史问题的基础，其结果将为Psiguria系统学之外的重要科学贡献。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，以询问有关生物网络中众多相关生物的问题，包括与农业害虫家族中昆虫物种的相互作用。从研究这些相互作用中获得的知识将增加我们对黄瓜家族农业重要成员的相关负面昆虫相互作用的理解。本科生的培训和与K-12教育计划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.