Phylogeny of the Batrachospermales (Rhodophyta, Red Algae)

0235676 Vis-Chiasson在红藻中，分子DNA序列数据挑战了传统的基于形态学的相关理论。 淡水红藻目Batrachospermales也不例外，目前，该目属和种之间的进化关系还不清楚。使问题更加复杂的是，对南半球大部分地区的植物群的了解非常少。本项目的目标是产生一个强大的分子框架，为今后在这组藻类的分类修订的基础。 标本的收集将集中在新西兰、塔斯马尼亚、北方巴西、马来西亚和南非的潜在多样性“热点”。 两个基因区域将从分类群测序，以确保丰富的分子数据。 新的DNA序列数据和更多的分类群的结合将导致一个很好的解决框架的关系。 鉴于海洋红藻的分子进化研究正在进行中，这项研究将与之相吻合，因此对淡水红藻的研究是及时的。 虽然实地研究是本地化的，但研究结果将把来自五大洲（北美、南美、非洲、亚洲和澳大利亚）的信息结合起来，以综合了解一组淡水藻类的生态系统。淡水红藻是全球河流生态系统的重要生物组成部分，是众多水生昆虫和鱼类的食物和庇护所。 Batrachospermales往往发生在溪流，有很少的人为干扰，可以是一个良好的水质指标。 由于我们对它们的系统学知识的缺乏，我们将它们用作生物指示剂的能力受到了阻碍。 例如，根据形态特征定义的Batrachospermum物种被认为是世界性的，出现在广泛的溪流中，但最近的分子研究表明，来自澳大利亚的生物被归因于该物种实际上是该地区特有的，并且描述了一个与北美物种无关的新物种。 了解了这些信息，每个物种的地理和生态范围都得到了细化。 除了产生的新知识，研究生和本科生将受益于参与这项研究。 学生们将参加到世界其他地方的收集旅行。 他们将与国内的同事互动，不仅获得实地经验，而且还对该国的科学和文化表示赞赏。 学生进行的实验室研究将导致学生在科学会议上的演讲和同行评议的出版物。在他们的研究结束时，本科生将充分准备在研究生院进行研究，研究生将是训练有素的专业人士，准备在学术界或工业界的职业生涯。

0235676Vis-ChiassonIn the red algae, molecular DNA sequence data have challenged traditional morphologically based theories of relatedness. The order of freshwater red algae, Batrachospermales, is no exception; and at present, evolutionary relationships among genera and species of this order are not well understood. To compound the problem, knowledge of the flora in most of the southern hemisphere is very poor. The object of this project is to produce a robust molecular framework as the foundation for future taxonomic revision in this group of algae. Collection of specimens will focus on potential "hot spots" of diversity in New Zealand, Tasmania, Northern Brazil, Malaysia and South Africa. Two gene regions will be sequenced from the taxa to ensure abundant molecular data. The combination of new DNA sequence data and more taxa will result in a well-resolved framework of relationships. This study of freshwater red algae is timely given that molecular evolution studies of marine red algae are underway, to which this research will dovetail. Although the field research is localized, the results will tie together information from five continents (North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia) for an integrated understanding of the biogeography of a group of freshwater algae.Freshwater red algae are important biological components of stream ecosystems worldwide, serving as food and shelter for numerous aquatic insects and fish. The Batrachospermales tend to occur in streams that have had little anthropogenic disturbance and can be an indicator of good water quality. Our ability to use them as biological indicators is hampered by our lack of knowledge of their systematics. For example, a Batrachospermum species defined by morphological characteristics was thought to be cosmopolitan, occurring in a wide range of streams, but recent molecular research has shown that the organisms from Australia that were attributed to this species were in fact endemic to that region, and a new species unrelated to the North American species was described. Knowing this information, the geographic and ecological range of each species has been refined. In addition to the new knowledge produced, graduate students and undergraduate students will benefit from participation in this research. The students will participate in the collecting trips to other parts of the world. They will interact with in-country colleagues gaining not only field experience but also an appreciation for the science and culture of that country. The laboratory research the students conduct will result in presentations at scientific meetings by the students and peer-reviewed publications. At the end of their studies, the undergraduates will be fully prepared to pursue research in graduate school and the graduate students will be highly trained professionals ready for a career in academia or industry.