Systematics of Cyperaceae: diversification, biogeography and evolution

我的研究重点是莎草科（莎草科）的系统学，这是一组以其异常多样性（约5500种），不同的栖息地（沙漠到雨林），不寻常的细胞学（n = 6 - 56）和多样的地理模式为特征的植物。在北美地区（FNA）的植物群中，莎草占我们本土植物群的近4%（加拿大为10%）;它们在每个植物区都很常见，并且在多样性和生物量方面主导着大陆的广大地区。然而，莎草仍然是一个研究很少的群体，其分类和关系仍然没有解决。我的长期研究目标是发现和保护莎草生物多样性，并将其安排在预测性，系统发育分类中，为测试进化，地理和生态假设提供比较框架。为了实现这一长期目标，我们将重点关注三个短期目标。目的1：利用下一代测序技术（NGS）对莎草科植物族和属进行划分，为莎草科植物的系统发育假说提供有力的支持。采样的重点将是Cariceae-Dulichieae-Scirpeae（CDS）分支，以完成CDS的重新分类（三个新的部落和一个亚部落;博士继续）和部落Fuireneae（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。Larridon，基尤和A. Monfils，Central Michigan University）。目标2将建立在两个重大发现的基础上，事实上，在巨大的苔草属（约2150种）中有8个而不是5个主要分支，并且小属Sumatroscirpus（4种）是苔草属的姐妹，这一结果对研究苔草属的进化具有深远的影响。博士2将研究Sumatroscirpus生物学的各个方面，用于极化苔草比较分析，他们将最终使用NGS解决苔草主要分支关系。此外，我们将继续与全球苔草集团合作，为苔草产生一个完整的分子遗传学（ITS，ETS，matK约46%测序; BSC学生贡献），并建立一个四个标记（ITS，ETS，matK，rps 16）数据集为所有FNA物种探索整个表型进化和苔草多样化（博士3，与博士合作。Cui，亚利桑那大学和J. Macklin，Ag Canada）。目的3将修订和研究早期分歧苔草组Euprepes和Mapaniifoliae（MSc 1和2）的生物学，一些最独特的形态所有莎草。这将支持博士2在苔草属的极化比较分析的目标，提供的培训将解决在加拿大的分类能力的问题减少。** 这项研究的更广泛的科学影响范围从发现新的部落，属和物种，到靶向药物发现，提高对世界植物地理学的理解以及染色体进化对植物多样化的作用。

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.**