Phylogenetics an morphological diversification in capparaceae, cleomaceae, and brassicaceae

尽管我们对在开花植物中观察到的形式多样性很着迷，但我们对这种变异是如何产生的理解是有限的。 我的研究目标是更好地了解两个关键性状差异的机制：果实结构和花的对称性。 芥菜科中的一个组，称为芥菜科，是重要的，因为它包括作物物种（例如油菜，西兰花），因为水果通常是分段的，这一特征极大地改变了它们的种子是如何传播的。 随着转基因作物系统中种子传播和基因流控制的日益重要，以及自然生态系统中引入物种的日益普遍，有必要详细了解果实发育遗传学和进化。 在刺山柑科的物种揭示了一个令人印象深刻的变化，在花的形式，包括许多变化，花的对称性。 这种特性对传粉者的相互作用有着重要的影响，包括促进物种形成和多样化。最终，我们想知道基因调控的变化是如何导致形态差异的-这是生物学中的一个关键问题。 我们采取全面的方法，包括：（1）利用DNA变异来阐明形态上不同的植物之间的关系，以了解形态上的转变，（2）对一系列物种进行详细的发育研究，以确定发育模式，（3）利用分子年代测定来确定事件的进化时间，以及（4）进行遗传学研究，以检查基因表达的差异如何导致形态变异。 我所关注的两个类群，豆科植物和刺山柑，都与遗传植物模型拟南芥密切相关，这将极大地促进遗传研究。令人惊讶的是，这些群体在很大程度上被忽视了，以提高我们对围绕这一重要遗传模型的形态多样性的理解。

Despite our fascination with the diversity of forms observed in flowering plants, our understanding of how this variation has arisen is limited.  The goal of my research is to better understand the mechanisms underlying differences in two key traits: fruit structure and floral symmetry.  A group within the mustard family, called the Brassiceae, is important because it includes crop species (e.g. canola, broccoli) and because the fruits are often segmented, a trait that dramatically alters how their seeds are dispersed.  The increasing importance of seed dispersal in crop plants and controlling the gene flow in genetically modified crop systems, and the increasing prevalence of introduced species in natural ecosystems, necessitate a detailed knowledge of fruit developmental genetics and evolution.  Species in the caper family reveal an impressive variation in floral form, including many changes in floral symmetry.  This trait has a significant impact on pollinator interactions including promoting speciation and diversification.Ultimately, we would like to know how changes in gene regulation have lead to morphology differences - a key question in biology.  We take a comprehensive approach that includes: (1) using DNA variation to elucidate relationships among morphologically distinct plants in order to understand transitions in form, (2) conducting detail developmental studies on a range of species to determine developmental patterns, (3) using molecular dating to determine the evolutionary timing of events, and (4) conducting genetic studies to examine how differences in gene expression may lead to morphological variation.  The two groups that I focus on, the Brassiceae and the capers, are both closely related to the genetic plant model, Arabidopsis, which will greatly facilitate genetic studies. Surprisingly, these groups have largely been overlooked with regards to improving our understanding of morphological diversity surrounding this important genetic model.