Systematics of Cyperaceae: diversification, biogeography and evolution

我的研究重点是莎草科（Cyperaceae）的系统学，这是一组显著的植物，其特点是其异常的多样性（约5500种），不同的栖息地（沙漠到雨林），不同的细胞学（n = 6 - 56）和不同的生物地理模式。在北美地区的植物区系（FNA）中，莎草占本地植物区系的近4%（加拿大占10%）；它们在每个花区都很常见，在多样性和生物量方面，它们在大陆的大片地区占主导地位。然而，莎草仍然是一个研究较少的群体，其分类和关系仍未解决。我的长期研究目标是发现和保护莎草的生物多样性，并将其安排在可预测的系统发育分类中，为测试进化，生物地理和生态假设提供比较框架。******为了实现这一长期目标，我们将侧重于三个短期目标。目的1将利用下一代测序（NGS）对莎草族和属进行划分，建立一个强有力的支持的莎草科系统发育假说。采样的重点将放在Cariceae-Dulichieae-Scirpeae （CDS）分支上，以完成CDS的重新分类（三个新部落和一个亚部落；博士继续）和Fuireneae部落（博士1），其中数据表明Fuireneae可能由多达四个独立的部落组成（与博士合作）。I. Larridon， Kew和A. Monfils，中密歇根大学)。目标2将建立在两个重大发现的基础上，即在巨大的Carex属（约2150种）中有8个，而不是5个主要分支，以及小属Sumatroscirpus（4种）是Carex的姐妹，这一结果对研究Carex的进化具有深远的意义。博士2将研究苏门答腊猴生物学的各个方面，进行极化毛苔比较分析，并最终使用NGS解决毛苔主要分支的关系。此外，我们将继续与Global Carex Group合作，为Carex提供完整的分子系统发育（约46%的测序用于ITS， ETS, matK；理学士学生贡献），并建立所有FNA物种的四个标记（ITS， ETS, matK, rps16）数据集，以探索整个表型进化和Carex多样化（博士3，与博士合作）。美国亚利桑那大学的崔海和加拿大的麦克林博士)。目的3将修订和研究早期分化的苔属植物euprees和Mapaniifoliae （MSc 1和MSc 2）的生物学，这是所有苔属植物中形态最奇特的部分。这将支持PhD 2在Carex中两极分化比较分析的目标，所提供的培训将解决加拿大分类学能力下降的问题。******这项研究的更广泛的科学影响包括发现新的部落、属和物种，发现靶向药物，提高对世界生物地理学的理解以及染色体进化在植物多样化中的作用。**

My research focuses on the systematics of the sedge family (Cyperaceae), a remarkable group of plants characterized by their exceptional diversity (~5500 species), varied habitats (deserts to rain forests), unusual cytology (n = 6 - 56) and diverse biogeographical patterns. In the Flora of North America region (FNA), sedges represent nearly 4% of our native flora (10% in Canada); they are common to every floral region, and they dominate vast areas of the continent in terms of diversity and biomass. Nevertheless, sedges remain a poorly studied group whose classification and relationships are still unresolved. My long-term research goal is to discover and conserve sedge biodiversity and to arrange it in predictive, phylogenetic classifications that provide a comparative framework for testing evolutionary, biogeographic, and ecological hypotheses.******Towards this long-term goal, we will focus on three short-term objectives. Objective 1 will develop a strongly supported phylogenetic hypothesis for Cyperaceae using next generation sequencing (NGS) to circumscribe sedge tribes and genera. The emphasis of sampling will be on the Cariceae-Dulichieae-Scirpeae (CDS) Clade to complete a reclassification of CDS (three new tribes and a subtribe; PhD continued) and on tribe Fuireneae (PhD 1) where data suggests Fuireneae could consist of as many as four separate tribes (collaboration with Drs. I. Larridon, Kew, and A. Monfils, Central Michigan Univ.). Objective 2 will build on two significant discoveries, the fact there are eight, not five major clades in the giant genus Carex (~2150 species), and that the small genus Sumatroscirpus (4 species) is sister to Carex, a result with far reaching implications for studying Carex evolution. PhD 2 will study all aspects of Sumatroscirpus biology for polarising Carex comparative analyses, and they will finally resolve Carex major clade relationships using NGS. Moreover, we will continue to collaborate with the Global Carex Group to produce a complete molecular phylogeny for Carex (~46% sequenced for ITS, ETS, matK; BSc students contributing), and to build on a four marker (ITS, ETS, matK, rps16) dataset for all FNA species to explore whole phenotype evolution and Carex diversification (PhD 3, collaboration with Drs. H. Cui, Univ. of Arizona and J. Macklin, Ag Canada). Objective 3 will revise and study the biology of the early diverging Carex sections Euprepes and Mapaniifoliae (MSc 1 & 2), some of the most morphologically peculiar of all sedges. This will support PhD 2's goal of polarising comparative analyses in Carex, and the training provided will address a problematic reduction in taxonomic capacity in Canada. ******The wider scientific impact of this research ranges from the discovery of new tribes, genera and species, to targeted drug discovery, an improved understanding of world biogeography and the role of chromosome evolution on plant diversification.**