Collaborative Research: Systematic Analysis of Evolutionary Radiation of Eupatorieae (Asteraceae)

德克萨斯大学的Jose Panero博士与田纳西大学的Edward Schilling博士的这项合作研究将分析菊科（向日葵）部落Eupatorieae的系统关系和系统发育历史。 该部落包括园艺物种，如甜叶和blazingstar，以及有毒杂草，如暹罗杂草和克罗夫顿杂草。 它是特别感兴趣的系统研究，因为它有大量的物种（超过2400）和广泛的，主要是新世界的分布，但似乎是相对较新的起源。 新信息的主要来源将是叶绿体基因组的DNA序列数据，将从代表140个属的180个样本中获得超过10，000个碱基对的序列数据。 还将获得每个样品总共约1，100个碱基对的核糖体区域的核DNA序列。 对这些广泛的数据集的评估将依靠计算机方法，包括简约分析，以产生一个显示部落成员之间关系的家谱（“家谱”）。 将该树与其他来源的数据进行比较，以帮助了解导致部落物种水平多样性的形态或染色体变化的时间和顺序。 系统发育树也将提供基础，以解决有争议的问题，关于属和subtribal分类泽兰族。 结果将是一个更稳定和预测性的分类，单系群将被确定，可以成为未来分类学研究的目标，以澄清部落的整体生物多样性。这项研究将有广泛和持久的影响，通过其增加到身体的公开可用的基线信息有关泽兰族，培训和教育的学生，和应用程序的家庭菊科资源。 广泛的野外工作，其中大部分是在热带和亚热带地区，积极受到人类入侵的威胁，收集植物材料将记录在科学收藏品的凭证标本沉积。 DNA序列研究的结果将存入GenBank，这是一个公共数据库，其他研究人员可以免费访问。 研究生参与研究将提供培训的基本系统学的一个家庭是大而广泛的，以及在实验室和分析程序的分子遗传学。 该项目还将为本科生提供参与研究的机会，并将与麦克奈尔计划等举措协调，以针对历史上在科学研究中代表性不足的群体的学生。 这项研究的新科学发现，包括对泽兰族分类的调整，将通过在同行评审期刊上发表来记录。 将通过扩大基于网络的资源来实现信息的更广泛传播，以使有关菊科的系统学和系统发育关系的信息广泛可用，使用包括图像和图形在内的格式，使公众能够访问和理解。

This collaborative research by Dr. Jose Panero from the University of Texas with colleague Dr. Edward Schilling at the University of Tennessee will analyze the systematic relationships and phylogenetic history of the Asteraceae (sunflower) tribe Eupatorieae. The tribe includes horticultural species such as sweetleaf and blazingstar, as well as noxious weeds such as Siam weed and Crofton weed. It is of particular interest for systematic studies because it has a large number of species (over 2400) and a widespread, primarily New World distribution, yet appears to be of relatively recent origin. A primary source of new information will be DNA sequence data from the chloroplast genome, and more than 10,000 base pairs of sequence data will be obtained from each of 180 samples representing 140 genera. Nuclear DNA sequences of the ribosomal regions totaling about 1,100 base pairs per sample will also be obtained. Assessments of these extensive data sets will rely on computer-based methods, including parsimony analysis, to produce a phylogeny ("family tree") that shows the relationships among members of the tribe. Comparison of the tree with data from other sources will be done to help understand the timing and sequence of morphological or chromosomal changes that have led to the species-level diversity of the tribe. The phylogenetic tree will also provide the basis to resolve contentious issues regarding the generic and subtribal classification of Eupatorieae. The result will be a more stable and predictive classification, and monophyletic groups will be identified that can be a target for future taxonomic studies to clarify the overall biodiversity of the tribe. This research will have broad and lasting impacts through its additions to the body of publicly available baseline information about Eupatorieae, training and education of students, and applications to resources about the family Asteraceae. The extensive fieldwork, much of it in tropical and subtropical areas that are actively threatened by human encroachment, to collect plant material will be documented by deposition of voucher specimens in scientific collections. Results of DNA sequence studies will be deposited at GenBank, a public database that is freely accessible by other researchers. Participation of graduate students in the research will provide training in basic systematics of a family that is large and widespread as well as in the laboratory and analytical procedures of molecular phylogenetics. The project will also provide opportunities for undergraduates to participate in research, and will coordinate with initiatives such as the McNair Program to target students from groups historically underrepresented in science research. New scientific findings from the research, including adjustments to the classification of Eupatorieae, will be documented by publication in peer-reviewed journals. Broader dissemination of the information will be accomplished by expansion of web-based resources to make information about systematics and phylogenetic relationships of Asteraceae widely available, using formats including images and graphics that make it accessible and understandable to the general public.