Assessing phylogeny and biogeography in a megadiverse tropical plant family (Melastomataceae)

公主花(野牡丹科)是最大的植物家族之一，构成了许多热带生物多样性热点的普遍组成部分。它们是蜜蜂和鸟类和哺乳动物等种子传播者的主要食物来源，在受干扰森林的再生中发挥着关键的演替作用。通过在目标区域的实地工作、分子系统发育技术和扫描电子显微镜的结合，研究人员旨在改进野牡丹科的分类，开发容易识别其主要类群(属和部落)的方法，追踪该科的诊断特征是如何进化的，测试关于热带生态系统中授粉系统如何演变的想法，评估古代气候变化的模型，并提供新的数据来提供信息和指导保护优先事项。这项研究将加强与外国同事和机构的合作，在热带发展中国家建设能力，并帮助培训下一代科学家。研究人员将指导高中、本科生和研究生进行与项目相关的研究，并领导一个关于野牡丹科生物学的研讨会。研究结果将通过印刷或网络期刊传播给其他科学家，并通过网站和加州科学院和纽约植物园的展品向公众公布。

Princess flowers (Melastomataceae) are one of the largest families of plants, forming prevalent components of many tropical biodiversity hotspots. They serve as a major food source for bees and seed dispersers such as birds and mammals, and play a critical successional role in the regeneration of disturbed forests. Through a combination of field work in targeted regions, molecular phylogenetic techniques, and scanning electron microscopy, the investigators aim to improve the classification of Melastomataceae, develop means to easily identify its major groupings (genera and tribes), track how diagnostic characters in the family have evolved, test ideas on how pollination systems have evolved in tropical ecosystems, evaluate models of ancient climate change, and provide new data to inform and direct conservation priorities.This research will strengthen collaborations with foreign colleagues and institutions, build capacity in tropical developing countries, and help train the next generation of scientists. The researchers will mentor high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in project-related research and lead a workshop on the biology of Melastomataceae. Results will be disseminated to other scientists through print or web-based journals and made available to the general public through websites and exhibits at the California Academy of Sciences and the New York Botanical Garden.