REVSYS - COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: A Model System Revisited: Phylogenetic Relationships and Species Limits Among Diploid Taxa of Boechera (Brassicaceae)

开花植物属Boechera，有110个北美物种和一些濒危类群，经常是植物生态学和进化生物学研究的焦点。这类研究试图了解一个既有有性生殖模式又有无性生殖模式的群体的分化进化和杂交过程。不幸的是，从以前的研究中得出的结论，这组已严重限制了其成员之间的系统发育关系的理解不足。Bailey等人将结合联合收割机在北美的实地考察研究、DNA序列、形态评估和染色体信息，以阐明Boechera物种之间的系统发育关系，建立不同有性物种与无性物种的数量和分布，并评估物种边界。由此产生的系统发育树将被用来测试随着时间的推移生殖模式的进化假说。这项合作努力涉及四个研究人员在生物学的不同领域的丰富经验。该项目为研究生和本科生提供广泛的有机体和分子生物学方面的培训。Boechera是主要植物模式生物拟南芥的近亲，这一事实增加了该研究的协同价值和更广泛的影响。最后，用于传播Boechera信息的网络资源的完成将为对这些迷人植物感兴趣的研究人员和公众提供宝贵的资产。

The flowering plant genus Boechera, with 110 North American species and a number of endangered taxa, is frequently the focus of studies in plant ecology and evolutionary biology. Such studies seek to understand processes of divergent evolution and hybridization in a group that exhibits both sexual and asexual modes of reproduction. Unfortunately, conclusions drawn from previous studies on this group have been severely constrained by a poor understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among its members. Bailey et al. will combine studies from fieldwork across North America, DNA sequences, morphological assessments, and chromosomal information to clarify the phylogenetic relationships among species of Boechera, establish the number and distribution of divergent sexual species vs. asexual species, and assess species boundaries. The resulting phylogenetic tree will be used to test hypotheses about the evolution of reproductive modes over time.This collaborative effort involves four researchers with extensive experience in diverse areas of biology. The project provides extensive training of graduate and undergraduate students in wide-ranging aspects of organismal and molecular biology. The fact that Boechera is a close relative of the primary plant model organism Arabidopsis adds to the synergistic value and broader impacts of the research. Lastly, the completion of web resources for the dissemination of information on Boechera will provide a valuable asset for researchers and members of the public interested in these fascinating plants.