Diversification and Biogeography of Lasiopetaleae [Malvaceae] and the History of the Southwestern Australian Flora

澳大利亚的西南角因其多样化和独特的植物区系而被指定为生物多样性热点。超过5400种植物生长在新墨西哥州大小的地区；其中79%的物种仅在澳大利亚西南部发现。尽管在植物学上具有重要意义，但这种独特植物区系的起源和历史还没有得到深入的研究。在Barbara Whitlock博士和Carolyn Wilkins博士的这个项目中，一组植物，天鹅绒灌木或Lasiopetaleae，被用作了解澳大利亚西南部植物区系的起源、历史和多样性的模式。花瓣科包括10属约180种灌木和乔木，归入锦葵科或棉科。它们在澳大利亚各地随处可见，但在西南部尤为多样。第一步是利用DNA序列、形态和解剖学的信息来确定Lasiopetaleae的所有物种是如何相互关联的。这些关系被描绘成一棵进化树，或称进化史。这涉及在澳大利亚各地进行广泛的田野工作，以寻找和收集100多个Lasiopetaleae物种的标本。一旦知道了系统发展史，它将被用来理解这个群体的起源，以及地质事件是如何塑造该群体内的进化的。它还将被用来确定西南部的植物区系是否如此多样化，因为那里的进化发生得更快。将使用三个指标来检查进化的速度：(1)物种形成，或新物种的形成；(2)DNA突变；(3)形态和解剖。一旦计算出这些比率，就可以将它们与生长在澳大利亚其他地区的Lasiopetaleae以及世界其他地方的其他植物群进行比较。总而言之，这些措施将揭示导致澳大利亚西南部高度多样性的潜在进化过程。这项研究将产生假说，这些假说稍后将被用作未来对澳大利亚西南部其他植物组的研究框架，从而更全面地了解生物多样性热点的起源。将为该项目收集的新标本可能会导致对新物种的认识，并极大地扩大对澳大利亚生物多样性的了解。它们将允许确定稀有物种的地位，从而做出更明智的保护决定。为了确保尽可能广泛地分享发现和结果，有关标本的信息，包括数码照片，将输入一个在线数据库。这将有助于将结果传播给非科学界，并导致对西澳大利亚州植物区系的更大欣赏。此外，该项目还将加强美国和澳大利亚科学家之间的沟通和智力交流。它将通过培训澳大利亚学生的野外方法和迈阿密大学的一名分子生物学技术研究生来促进系统生物学教育。该项目还将扩大两名处于职业生涯早期阶段的妇女对系统生物学的参与。

The southwestern corner of Australia is designated a biodiversity hotspot because of its diverse and unique flora. Over 5400 species of plants grow in an area the size of New Mexico; 79% of these species are found only in southwestern Australia. Despite this botanical importance, the origins and history of this unique flora have not been studied intensively. In this project by Dr. Barbara Whitlock and Dr. Carolyn Wilkins, one group of plants, the velvet bushes or Lasiopetaleae, is used as a model to understand the origins, history, and diversity of the southwestern Australian flora. Lasiopetaleae include ten genera and about 180 species of shrubs and trees, placed in the mallow or cotton family Malvaceae. They are found throughout Australia but are especially diverse in the southwest. The first step is to determine how all the species of Lasiopetaleae are related to each other using information from DNA sequences, morphology, and anatomy. These relationships are portrayed as an evolutionary tree, or phylogeny. This involves extensive fieldwork throughout Australia to find and collect specimens from 100+ species of Lasiopetaleae. Once the phylogeny is known, it will be used to understand where the group originated and how geologic events have shaped evolution within the group. It will also be used to determine if the southwestern flora is so diverse because evolution occurs more rapidly there. Three measures will be used to examine the rate of evolution: (1) speciation, or the formation of new species; (2) DNA mutations; and (3) morphology and anatomy. Once these rates are calculated, they can be compared to Lasiopetaleae growing in other regions of Australia and to other groups of plants elsewhere in the world. Together, these measures will shed light on the underlying evolutionary processes that led to the high diversity in southwestern Australia. This study will generate hypotheses that will later be used as a framework for future studies of other groups of southwestern Australian plants, leading to a fuller understanding of the origin of a biodiversity hotspot. The new specimens that will be collected for this project will likely result in the recognition of new species and expand knowledge of the biodiversity of Australia significantly. They will allow for the status of rare species to be determined, resulting in more informed conservation decisions. To insure that discoveries and results are shared as widely as possible, information on specimens including digital photographs will be entered into an online database. This will help disseminate results to the nonscientific community and lead to a greater appreciation of the Western Australian flora. In addition, this project will strengthen communication and intellectual exchange among American and Australian scientists. It will promote education in systematic biology by training students in field methods in Australia, and a graduate student in molecular biology techniques at the University of Miami. This project will also broaden the participation in systematic biology of two women who are at early stages in their careers.