Reduction & reversal in the Funariaceae: phylogenetic perspective on sporophyte complexity and role of the calyptra

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。进化通常会导致生物体在外观、产生的化学物质种类或细胞功能方面变得越来越复杂。然而，复杂和昂贵的字符也可能丢失。例如，许多鸟类已经失去了飞行的能力。非常简单的生物体是进化的死胡同吗？通过观察苔藓中产生孢子的结构，这项研究将检验复杂性是否可以消失，然后重新进化。苔藓科的进化历史将通过DNA序列分析来评估。同时，形态学复杂性将通过电子显微镜和形态学测量来量化。特别是，这项研究将评估看起来相当简单的物种的进化史，例如小立壶菌（Physcomitrella patens），一种新的基因组研究模式生物。这项研究还将测试更复杂的孢子承载结构是否有助于防止孢子干燥。尽管苔藓具有生态和进化意义，但在K-12教育中却没有受到重视。将与高中教师一起编写教材，以促进苔藓类课程的整合，并提高对植物生物学的普遍认识。培养博士后1人，女研究生1人，本科生1人。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Evolution typically leads to organisms that are increasingly complex in the way they look, the sorts of chemicals they produce, or the way their cells function. However, complex and costly characters can also be lost. For example, many lineages of birds have lost the ability to fly. Are very simple organisms evolutionary cul-de-sacs? By looking at the spore producing structures in mosses, this research will examine whether complexity can be lost and then re-evolve. The evolutionary history of the moss family Funariaceae will be assessed through analyses of DNA sequences. Meanwhile, morphological complexity will be quantified through electron microscopy and morphological measurements. In particular, this research will assess the evolutionary history of species that look quite simple, such as Physcomitrella patens, a new model organism in genomic research. The research will also test whether more complex spore-bearing structures help to keep the spores from drying out.Despite their ecological and evolutionary significance, mosses receive no attention in K-12 education. Educational materials will be developed with high-school teachers to promote curricular integration of mosses and to increase general literacy in plant biology. The project provides training opportunities for one post-doctoral researcher, one female graduate student, and undergraduates.