CAREER: Reconciling Patterns of Phylogenetic Rate Heterogenity in Ferns with Morphology, Ecology, and Life History

在地理范围上与世界上主要的开花植物几乎相等的是蕨类植物，这是第二大维管植物群，估计有12，000个左右的物种。杜克大学的Kathleen Pryer博士继续进行蕨类植物的分子和形态学研究的富有成效的计划，目的之一是为所有蕨类植物科构建一个框架系统，尽可能与化石形式以及从突变率和化石证据确定的分歧和多样化的估计日期相结合。主要的新数据将获得从所有三个基因组区室：细胞核，线粒体和叶绿体的基因的DNA测序，这些新的数据是整合与形态特征，以改善蕨类植物分类系统，并评估模式的物种多样性在不同谱系的蕨类植物。不同的分子进化速率将在热带薄膜蕨类植物，蕨类植物和树蕨等群体中进行探索，并努力将分子速率差异与栖息地和生活史方面联系起来。将继续与美国和国外的蕨类植物分类学、形态学和化石专家进行富有成效的合作。 研究将结合教育和推广活动，在校园里，在当地学校社区，和国外，包括通过OTS，热带研究财团在哥斯达黎加运作的组织。教授植物生物学和“植物新闻”的非专业的一般课程，与达勒姆地区的初中和高中教师在夏季“接触”讲习班，并参加热带课程每年进行哥斯达黎加介绍本科生和研究生热带植物多样性。

0347840Pryer Nearly co-equal in geographic extent with the dominant flowering plants of the world are the ferns, the second largest group of vascular plants, with an estimated 12,000 or so living species. Dr. Kathleen Pryer at Duke University continues a productive program of molecular and morphological studies of ferns, one aim being the construction of a framework phylogeny for all the families of ferns, integrated where possible with fossil forms and with estimated dates of divergence and diversification determined from mutation rates and fossil evidence. Primary new data will be acquired from DNA sequencing of genes from all three genomic compartments: nucleus, mitochondria, and chloroplasts; these new data are to be integrated with morphological characters to improve fern classification systems, and to evaluate patterns of species diversity in different lineages of ferns. Different rates of molecular evolution will be explored in such groups as the tropical filmy ferns, pteridoid ferns, and tree ferns, with efforts to relate molecular-rate differences to aspects of habitat and life history. Productive collaborations will continue with specialists in fern taxonomy, morphology, and fossils, both in the U.S. and abroad. Research will be conjoined with educational and outreach activities, on campus, in the local school community, and abroad including through the OTS, Organization for Tropical Studies consortium operating in Costa Rica. Prof. Pryer teaches general courses in plant biology and "plants in the news" for non-majors, works with Durham-area middle and high school teachers in summer "reach out" workshops, and participates in the tropical courses conducted annually in Costa Rica to introduce undergraduate and graduate students to tropical plant diversity.