DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The role of reproductive trait shifts in the diversification of Oenothera (Onagraceae)

论文研究：生殖性状转变在月见草（Onagraceae）多样化中的作用

• 批准号: 0910202
• 负责人: Peter Raven
• 金额: $ 1.09万
• 依托单位: Washington University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2009
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2009-06-01 至 2011-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0910202&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; role; reproductive; trait

The evolution and diversification of many flowering plants is linked to the interactions of flowers with the insects and other animals that pollinate them (pollination system), as well as to the ability of a single plant to self-fertilize or cross-pollinate with others of its species (breeding system). These traits vary widely among flowering plant species, but some species are very specialized in the pollinators and the type of fertilization they use. One hypothesis that has been long debated is whether having flowers that are specialized for particular pollinators leads to the evolutionary diversification of more plant species. This project aims to study pollinator and breeding systems in a group of several dozen species in the evening primrose plant family to test this hypothesis. The researchers will use DNA sequences of several genes to reconstruct the evolutionary tree of these evening primroses, and the team will examine details of the pollination process, such as types of pollinators and the nectar and pollen gathered by them. They will then determine whether shifts in pollinator and breeding systems are associated with the evolution of greater numbers of species.The broader impacts of the study include the training of undergraduates in field and laboratory research and the development of collaborations with plant ecologists. The grant supports the research of a female graduate student, who will do outreach work with local high schools and give lectures to conservation groups. Evening primroses are one of many groups of plants that depend upon animal pollinators for their reproduction, and the details of these interactions in the group are important to understand the process of plant reproduction.

许多开花植物的进化和多样化与花与昆虫和其他授粉动物的相互作用有关（授粉系统），也与单个植物自花受精或与其他物种异花授粉的能力有关（繁殖系统）。 这些特征在开花植物物种之间差异很大，但有些物种在传粉者和它们使用的受精类型方面非常专业。 一个长期争论的假设是，是否有专门为特定传粉者服务的花朵会导致更多植物物种的进化多样化。 本计画旨在研究晚香花报春花科数十种植物的传粉者与繁殖系统，以验证此假说。 研究人员将使用几个基因的DNA序列来重建这些月见草的进化树，研究小组将研究授粉过程的细节，例如授粉者的类型以及它们收集的花蜜和花粉。 然后他们将确定传粉者和繁殖系统的变化是否与更多物种的进化有关。这项研究的更广泛影响包括对野外和实验室研究的本科生的培训以及与植物生态学家合作的发展。 这笔赠款支持一名女研究生的研究，她将与当地高中开展外联工作，并为保护团体讲课。 月见草是许多依赖动物传粉者进行繁殖的植物之一，这些相互作用的细节对于理解植物繁殖的过程很重要。