Dissertation Research: Molecular systematics, evolution, and historical biogeography in Corybas (Orchidaceae)

头盔兰花属科里巴斯约有140种，花朵精致复杂，分布于亚洲至澳大利亚和西南太平洋盆地的其他地区。由于珊瑚体型较小，热带山地森林中的种类较多，对珊瑚的研究较少。该项目的目标是利用广泛物种样本的DNA变异来研究珊瑚属植物内部的关系；重建分布变化和物种多样性的历史时间和地理模式；以及研究花结构变化的频率和生态背景。将对澳大利亚一组密切相关的物种进行详细研究，以更精细的规模调查这些问题。这项研究将导致发现和描述新物种，制定修订的分类，并通过量化遗传独特性和多样性的模式来帮助设定保护优先事项。这些结果将为未来个体物种生态学的研究提供重要的背景，并将进一步加深我们对历史生物地理学和物种形成的理解。该项目涉及与外国研究人员的大量合作，包括发展中国家的几名研究人员，并将有助于这些地区科学家的专业发展。

The helmet orchid genus Corybas contains about 140 species with exquisitely complex flowers, distributed from Asia to Australia and other parts of the southwest Pacific basin. Corybas has been poorly studied due to their small size and the large number of species in tropical montane forests. The goals of this project are to use DNA variation from a broad sample of species to examine relationships within Corybas; to reconstruct the historical timing and geographic patterns of distributional changes and species diversification; and to examine the frequency and ecological context for changes in flower structure. One group of closely related species in Australia will be studied in detail to investigate these questions on a finer scale.This research will result in the discovery and description of new species, in development of a revised classification, and in helping set conservation priorities by quantifying patterns of genetic uniqueness and diversity. The results will provide an important context for future studies on the ecology of individual species, and will further our understanding of historical biogeography and speciation. This project involves substantial collaboration with foreign researchers, including several in developing countries, and will contribute to the professional development of scientists in these regions.