Collaborative Research: Origin of the Hawaiian Pteridophyte Flora

科罗拉多大学的托马斯兰克博士和蒙大拿州卡罗尔学院的詹妮弗盖革博士的合作研究将调查夏威夷群岛蕨类植物植物群的地理和进化起源。将对几个选定属内的物种进行分子研究，以了解进化关系。对所研究的群体的进化关系和地理学历史进行比较分析，将允许测试基于气候和天气的孢子风传播到夏威夷群岛的假设。这种比较将允许评估的可能性，远距离的风传播到群岛已基本上是随机的各组或如果有共同的模式，由于存在共同的传播路线，各组。拟议的研究将为我们了解夏威夷群岛和太平洋地区一组在进化和生态上重要且研究不足的植物的历史地理学做出重大贡献。由于许多夏威夷本土植物、真菌和昆虫的祖先无疑是通过远距离的风传播到达这些岛屿的，这项研究将为夏威夷群岛本土生物群体的起源和多样性提供新的见解。此外，关于进化关系的假设将产生几组夏威夷和非夏威夷蕨类植物，这将提供一个基础，并导致未来，更详细的进化研究。拟议的研究将有一个显着的影响，通过提供培训和第一手经验evolutionarybiology，系统学，地理学，热带生物学，分子技术和数据分析的研究生在CU-博尔德和四个或更多的本科生每年在卡罗尔学院和CU-博尔德的人力资源开发。科罗拉多大学有几个项目鼓励本科生参与研究项目。PI Ranker定期与这些学生合作并指导他们，包括夏季多元文化研究和培训计划的参与者。PI Ranker将通过这些计划每年招募两名或更多的学生，以协助在现场和实验室进行拟议的研究，作为荣誉和独立研究生。同样，PI盖革将每年招收两名或更多的学生，以协助拟议的研究在卡罗尔学院，这是一个本科院校。学生将通过参加荣誉论文计划来协助拟议的研究。完成荣誉论文的学生将在卡罗尔学院自然科学系年度曼尼昂研讨会上展示他们的工作海报。从卡罗尔学院的学生也将有机会参加这项研究在夏季在科罗拉多大学博尔德在PI兰克的实验室工作。在研究型大学获得经验将拓宽学生的视野和经验，并帮助他们为专业工作或研究生教育做好准备。学生将参与这项工作的所有阶段，包括共同撰写出版物和在专业会议上展示研究成果。

Collaborative research by Dr. Thomas Ranker of the University of Colorado and Dr. Jennifer Geiger of Carroll College, Montana, will investigate the biogeographical and evolutionary origins of the fern flora of the Hawaiian Islands. Molecular studies of species within several selected genera will be conducted to understand evolutionary relationships. Comparative analyses of the evolutionary relationships and biogeographical histories of the groups studied will allow for the testing of climate- and weather-based hypotheses of wind dispersal of spores to the Hawaiian Islands. Such comparisons will allow for an assessment of the possibility that long-distance wind dispersal to the archipelago has been essentially random across groups or if there are common patterns across groups due to the existence of common dispersal routes. The proposed research will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the historical biogeography of an evolutionarily and ecologically important and under-studied group of plants in the Hawaiian Islands and around the Pacific region. Becausethe ancestors of many native Hawaiian plants, fungi, and insects undoubtedly arrived via long-distance wind dispersal to the islands, this research will provide new insights into the origin and diversification of native groups of organisms in the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, hypotheses about evolutionary relationships will be generated for several groups of Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian ferns that will provide a basis for and lead to future, more detailed evolutionary studies. The proposed research will have a significant impact on the development of human resources by providing training and first-hand experience in evolutionarybiology, systematics, biogeography, tropical biology, molecular techniques, and data analysis to graduate students at CU-Boulder and four or more undergraduate students per year at Carroll College and CU-Boulder. Several programs exist at the University of Colorado to encourage undergraduate students to become involved with research projects. PI Ranker regularly works with and mentors such students, including participants in the Summer Multicultural Access to Research and Training program. PI Ranker will recruit two or more students per year through these programs to assist with the proposed research, both in the field and in the laboratory, as honor's and independentresearch students. Similarly, PI Geiger will recruit two or more students per year to assist with the proposed research at Carroll College, which is an undergraduate institution. Students will assist with the proposed research by participating in the honors thesis program. Students completing honors theses will present a poster display of their work at the Carroll College Department of Natural Sciences annual Manion Symposium. Students from Carroll College will also have the opportunity to participate in this research during the summer months at CU-Boulder working in PI Ranker's laboratory. Gaining experience at a research university will broaden students' perspectives and experiences and help prepare them as they progress toward a professional job or a graduateeducation. Students will be involved with all phases of this work, including the co-authoring of publications and presenting the results of research at professional meetings.