Reduction & reversal in the Funariaceae: phylogenetic perspective on sporophyte complexity and role of the calyptra

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。进化通常会导致生物体在外观、产生的化学物质种类或细胞功能方面变得越来越复杂。 然而，复杂和昂贵的字符也可能丢失。许多鸟类已经失去了飞行的能力。非常简单的有机体是进化的死胡同吗？通过观察苔藓中产生孢子的结构，这项研究将研究复杂性是否会丢失，然后重新进化。藓科Funariaceae的进化历史将通过DNA序列分析进行评估。 同时，形态复杂性将通过电子显微镜和形态测量进行量化。特别是，这项研究将评估看起来很简单的物种的进化历史，例如小立碗藓，基因组研究中的一种新模式生物。这项研究还将测试更复杂的孢子结构是否有助于防止孢子干燥。尽管苔藓在生态和进化上具有重要意义，但在K-12教育中没有受到关注。将与高中教师一起编写教材，以促进苔藓课程的整合，并提高对植物生物学的普遍认识。该项目为一名博士后研究员、一名女研究生和本科生提供培训机会。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Evolution typically leads to organisms that are increasingly complex in the way they look, the sorts of chemicals they produce, or the way their cells function. However, complex and costly characters can also be lost. For example, many lineages of birds have lost the ability to fly. Are very simple organisms evolutionary cul-de-sacs? By looking at the spore producing structures in mosses, this research will examine whether complexity can be lost and then re-evolve. The evolutionary history of the moss family Funariaceae will be assessed through analyses of DNA sequences. Meanwhile, morphological complexity will be quantified through electron microscopy and morphological measurements. In particular, this research will assess the evolutionary history of species that look quite simple, such as Physcomitrella patens, a new model organism in genomic research. The research will also test whether more complex spore-bearing structures help to keep the spores from drying out.Despite their ecological and evolutionary significance, mosses receive no attention in K-12 education. Educational materials will be developed with high-school teachers to promote curricular integration of mosses and to increase general literacy in plant biology. The project provides training opportunities for one post-doctoral researcher, one female graduate student, and undergraduates.