Collaborative Research: Phylogeny, Diversification, and Evolutionary Trajectories in the "Terebinthaceae" (Anacardiaceae and Burseraceae)

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Flowering plants (angiosperms) are the most diverse group of plants on Earth (280,000 species) and include almost all of our agricultural crops, yet little is known about the interplay of biological and environmental factors that have fostered this diversity. The proposed study will explore the impact of historical events on rates of diversification in two related groups of economically and ecologically important angiosperms, the cashew (Anacardiaceae) and frankincense and myrrh (Burseraceae) families, by 1) reconstructing their evolutionary relationships using molecular genetics techniques and 2) investigating morphological innovations, ecological specializations, and episodes of geographic range expansion or contraction in these plants.Project results will directly contribute to the understanding of how living organisms succeed or fail to diversify in response to biotic and environmental change. Six U.S. principal investigators, two of whom are women and four of whom are at early stages in their careers, will collaborate on this cross-disciplinary project that will expand our ability to manage and conserve tropical plant species, build museum collections of these organisms, and provide professional development opportunities to students from under-represented groups. Student participants will obtain research skills that have broad application in fields such as medicine, forensic science, and conservation biology.