PRF: Molecular Systematics of the Coleochaetaceae (Cholorophyta, Class Charophyceae), and the Origin of Embryophytes (Land Plants)

基因rbcL的核苷酸序列变异将用于研究绿藻目藻门（藻门）的系统发育。由于藻毛纲和植物（胚胎植物）之间明显的密切关系，该项目有可能澄清长期存在的植物藻类祖先的性质问题。所涉及的分类群较小，在大生物量中难以获得；聚合酶链反应（PCR）将用于扩增rbcL，以获得足够数量的DNA进行分析。数据将用各种简约（和距离）方法进行分析。

Variation in nucleotide sequence in the gene rbcL will be used to study phylogeny within the green algal order Coleochaetales (class Charophyceae). Because of an apparent close relation between Coleochaetales and plants (embryophytes), this project has the potential to clarify the longstanding problem of the nature of the algal ancestor to plants. The taxa involved are small and difficult to obtain in large biomass; the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) will be used to amplify rbcL in order to obtain adequate quantities of DNA for analysis. Data will be analyzed with a variety of parsimony (and distance) methods.