DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Investigating the accumulation of evidence for speciation: species delimitation in a rapid and recent radiation

论文研究：调查物种形成证据的积累：快速和近期辐射中的物种界定

• 批准号: 1210895
• 负责人: David Tank
• 金额: $ 1.5万
• 依托单位: Regents of the University of Idaho
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-05-01 至 2015-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1210895&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Investigating; accumulation; evidence

Although it is widely accepted that speciation is a gradual and constant process with no clear boundaries for the identification of species, to our knowledge, no study has empirically evaluated the accumulation of species properties across time scales or from a comparative phylogenetic perspective. The research objective of this study is to evaluate the order and magnitude of change in species properties over time in the mostly South American plant genus Bartsia L. - a group of closely related species that show varying degrees of morphological, ecological, and geographical differentiation, but for which the evolutionary relationships are as of yet, unknown. To accomplish this objective, the proposed work includes, 1) a rigorous assessment of species delimitation using multiple lines of evidence including molecular, morphological, ecological, and geographical information, 2) the reconstruction of a well-resolved species phylogeny, and 3) an evolutionary comparative analysis of the accumulation of the inherent properties of a species. In addition, the resulting robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the South American species of Bartsia will provide the necessary framework for future comparative ecological and evolutionary studies in this group.The páramo is considered one of the most biodiverse montane ecosystems in the world and a more thorough understanding of páramo biodiversity is essential for the development of effective conservation strategies for this ecologically important and fragile Andean ecosystem. To actively aid in the conservation of the páramo we will engage in several lectures about patterns of biodiversity in the Andes sponsored and coordinated by collaborating institutions in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

虽然人们普遍认为物种形成是一个渐进和持续的过程，没有明确的物种识别边界，但据我们所知，还没有研究从时间尺度或比较系统发育的角度对物种属性的积累进行经验评估。这项研究的目的是评估大多数南美植物巴特西亚属物种属性随时间变化的顺序和幅度。巴特西亚属是一组密切相关的物种，表现出不同程度的形态、生态和地理分化，但其进化关系迄今尚不清楚。为了实现这一目标，拟议的工作包括：1)使用包括分子、形态、生态和地理信息在内的多条证据对物种划界进行严格评估；2)重建已得到很好解决的物种系统发育；以及3)对物种固有属性的积累进行进化比较分析。此外，由此产生的南美洲巴特西亚物种的系统发育假说将为这一组未来的比较生态和进化研究提供必要的框架。Páramo被认为是世界上生物多样性最丰富的山地生态系统之一，更彻底地了解Páramo生物多样性对于为这一具有生态重要性且脆弱的安第斯生态系统制定有效的保护战略至关重要。为了积极帮助保护帕拉莫，我们将举办几场关于安第斯山脉生物多样性模式的讲座，由秘鲁、厄瓜多尔和哥伦比亚的合作机构赞助和协调。