Dissertation Research: Population Genetics and Phylogenetic Systematics of the Native Hawaiian Palm Genus Pritchardia

科罗拉多大学的研究生Chrissen Gemmill在指导老师Thomas Ranker的指导下，正在研究夏威夷棕榈属物种的分类学、系统发育和种群遗传学。据估计，该属有25种，其中19种在夏威夷，其余的在南太平洋。大约有八种出现在孤立的小种群中，并且可能被证明是基因退化和濒临灭绝的。正在进行形态学和分子研究，后者包括蛋白质电泳以评估遗传变异水平和核DNA区域（ITS区域）测序以测量物种之间的突变差异。形态学和分子证据的结合将改善夏威夷物种的分类区分，并为可靠的鉴定和推断进化史假设提供特征。由于保护和管理决策必须建立在可靠的分类学处理的基础上，因此基于形态和分子相结合的改进的棕榈分类将满足准确识别和测量野生种群遗传变异的需要。

9411848 Ranker Graduate student Chrissen Gemmill, under the supervision of faculty adviser Thomas Ranker at the University of Colorado, is studying the taxonomy, phylogeny, and population genetics of Hawaiian species of the palm genus Pritchardia. There are an estimated 25 species in the genus, 19 in Hawaii and the rest in the South Pacific. Eight or so species occur in isolated, small populations and may prove to be genetically depauperate and endangered. Morphological and molecular studies are being conducted, the latter including electrophoresis of proteins to assess levels of genetic variability and sequencing of nuclear DNA regions (ITS regions) to measure mutational differences among species. Combined morphological and molecular evidence will improve taxonomic discrimination of the Hawaiian species and provide characters for reliable identification and for inferring a hypothesis of evolutionary history. Because conservation and management decisions must be based on reliable taxonomic treatments, an improved classification of Pritchardia palms, based on combined morphological and molecular data, will answer the needs for accurate identification and measurement of genetic variability in wild populations.