Dissertation Research - Molecular Phylogeny of Cuphea P. Browne (Lythraceae) in North America: Evolution of Floral Morphology, Chromosome Number, and Seed Oil Composition

传粉者的专门化被认为推动了植物的多样化和进化辐射。最近，生态学家批评了花的形状与特定传粉者直接相关的概念，因为花可能会受到几种传粉者的访问。北美洲的Cuphea属植物是检验多样化理论的理想植物，因为它们表现出广泛的花形态、授粉综合征和染色体数目，并且发生在不同的栖息地。Cuphea品种也因其种子油的巨大变化而受到关注，这些油在世界范围内作为牲畜饲料，洗涤剂，化妆品和生物柴油燃料的成分具有重要意义。北美Cuphea的分子系统发育将提供一个框架，使研究人员能够分析花形态、授粉综合征、染色体数目的进化模式，并测试生态对种子油成分的影响。这项研究将确定密切相关的物种，可能会引起农业研究人员的兴趣，并为Cuphea遗传变异的本质提供见解。该项目将建立圣路易斯大学、密苏里植物园和佐治亚大学之间的合作关系，并为研究生共同负责人和几名本科生提供分类学、分子系统发育和生化分析方面的培训。

Pollinator specialization is believed to drive plant diversification and evolutionary radiation. Recently, ecologists have criticized the concept that a flower's shape is directly related to a specific pollinator because flowers may receive visits from several kinds of pollinators. Species of the genus Cuphea in North America are ideal plants to test diversification theories because they exhibit a wide range of floral morphology, pollination syndromes, and chromosome numbers and occur in different habitats. Cuphea species are also of interest due to the great variation in their seed oils which have worldwide importance as ingredients in livestock feed, detergents, cosmetics and biodiesel fuel. A molecular phylogeny of North American Cuphea will provide a framework that will enable the investigators to analyze evolutionary patterns in floral morphology, pollination syndromes, chromosome numbers, and test the influence of ecology on seed oil composition.This study will identify closely related species that may be of interest to agricultural researchers and provide insights into the nature of genetic variation in Cuphea. This project will build collaborations between Saint Louis University, the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the University of Georgia and provide training for the graduate co-PI and several undergraduates in taxonomy, molecular phylogenetics, and biochemical analysis.