形态多样性研究是通过测算生物表型在形态空间中的变化量，来阐述形态学特征的宏演化模式，因此对深入认识地史时期生物多样性演化具有重要意义，日益受到学术界关注。早期维管植物的成功登陆对地球系统产生了巨大影响，其形态学特征的快速演化与陆地环境存在紧密联系。然而，专门针对古生代植物类群的形态多样性研究却非常薄弱。华南板块泥盆纪植物化石标本丰富，地层学和分类学研究充分，多数植物形态特征较为完整，且存在大量的地方性属种，非常适合开展区域性的形态多样性研究。华南早期陆生维管植物的分类单元多样性已得到了较详细的阐述，多个植物类群显示了始现—繁盛—灭绝的宏演化模式，但形态多样性研究仍不完善。本项目拟以泥盆纪的陆生维管植物群为研究对象，应用定量统计方法，深入开展形态多样性研究，揭示植物登陆过程中一些关键形态学性状的演化，分析早期陆生维管植物形态的宏演化模式，以期为解释植物成功登陆和辐射演化的机制提供科学依据。

Studies of morphological diversity are to estimate variations of organismal morphology in a constructed morphospace and to reveal macroevolutionary pattern of morphological characters, and thus such studies are of vital significance for a deeper understanding of the biodiversity evolution during geological history and have attracted increasing attentions. The colonization of land by early vascular plants has been considered to have a profound impact on the Earth System, and rapid evolution of morphological characters of these plants was certainly correlated with terrestrial environments at that time. However, the morphological diversity of Paleozoic plants has been poorly studied. Devonian plant fossils are abundant in the South China Block, where the fossil-bearing strata and plant taxonomy have been well-studied, and where most of the reported plants are endemic and well morphologically preserved; and therefore, the fossil record from South China provides a best object to study morphological diversity at the regional scale. The taxonomic diversity of Devonian vascular plants from South China had been studied in details, which for many plant groups shows an origination and diversification pattern, followed by an extinction, while their morphological diversity has not been fully revealed yet. Based on the rich fossil record from South China, this project aims to study the morphological diversity of early vascular plants, to reveal the evolutionary processes of some key traits during the colonization of the land, and to analyze the macroevolutionary pattern of plant morphologies. It is expected that such studies could provide evidence for understanding the mechanism of plant terrestrialization and their radiation.