DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Integrating morphology, molecules and ecology to understand diversification and species coexistence within the Madagascar olive, Noronhia (Oleaceae)

马达加斯加惊人丰富的生物多样性的进化起源仍然是一个很大的未知数。几乎岛上的每一组生物都异常多样化，而且往往是岛上独有的。马达加斯加橄榄树Noronhia就是这种情况的例证，也是了解该岛植物多样化的典范。本项目旨在通过：1)基于形态学数据重新评估Noronhia的物种边界和属多样性；2)利用DNA序列推断进化史和系统发育关系；3)在一个地方共同发生的物种之间的形态、系统发育关系和生态学的研究。保护马达加斯加的生物群是一项具有挑战性的努力，因为人类为维持日常生计而进行的斗争在很大程度上超过了保护和更多科学调查的需要。这项研究的结果将在保护机构之间传播，并通过同行评议的期刊和科学会议，为制定有效的保护战略提供一个健全的分类框架。对Noronhia的研究将有助于我们了解马达加斯加一个重要生态植物属的辐射，植物标本室标本、形态特征和DNA序列数据库将向公众开放。

The evolutionary origin of Madagascar's amazingly rich biodiversity remains a great unknown. Almost every group of organisms occurring on the island is exceptionally diverse and often unique to the island. Noronhia, the Madagascar olive, exemplifies this situation and serves as a model for understanding plant diversification on the island. This project seeks to evaluate diversification in Noronhia through: 1) reassessment of species boundaries and generic diversity based on morphological data; 2) inference of evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships using DNA sequences, and; 3) examination of morphology, phylogenetic relationships, and ecology among species co-occurring in a single locality. Protecting the Malagasy biota is a challenging endeavor when the human struggle for daily subsistence largely outweighs the need for conservation and more scientific investigation. Results from this study, disseminated among conservation agencies and through peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences, will provide a sound taxonomic framework on which to base an effective conservation strategy. This study of Noronhia will help us to understand the radiation of an ecologically important Malagasy plant genus and databases of herbarium specimens, morphological characters, and DNA sequences will be made available to the public.