Phylogeography and conservation genetics of the Caribbean Zamia clade

苏铁是一种古老的种子植物，大约在3亿年前进化而来。由于它们的古老、新奇以及与恐龙的联系，苏铁长期以来一直吸引着普通公众。苏铁中最大的一些物种扎米亚(俗称“孔雀”或“海草”)形成了一个仅限于西印度群岛和佛罗里达的自然种群。这些种群被视为由少则1个，多则9个不同物种组成。拟议的研究试图使用微卫星(重复)DNA标记同时调查加勒比扎米亚种群在整个范围内的遗传变异模式，并使用核基因组中以单一副本或少量副本出现的基因的DNA序列来测试物种边界。同时分析生活在灰色地带的不同生物体的不同DNA数据集。种群和物种之间的关系将提供一个机会来检验遗传学和进化史的趋同。加勒比海群岛形成了全球优先保护的生物多样性热点。这些研究将有助于概述加勒比苏铁的保护战略，这些都是濒危物种。来自美国拉美裔本科生比例最大的一所大学的六名学生将通过这个项目获得研究机会。这项研究汇集了一个多机构的研究团队，具有互补的优势和经过验证的合作历史。

Cycads are ancient seed plants that evolved approximately 300 million years ago. Because of their antiquity, novelty and association with dinosaurs, cycads have long fascinated the general public. Some of the species of the largest genus of cycads, Zamia, (commonly known as "coontie" or "bay rush") form a natural group restricted to the West Indies and Florida. These populations have been treated as comprising as few as one to as many as nine different species. The proposed research seeks to simultaneously investigate patterns of genetic variation in the Caribbean populations of Zamia throughout their range using microsatellite (repetitive) DNA markers, as well as test species boundaries using DNA sequences of genes from the nuclear genome that occur as a single copy or a low number of copies. The simultaneous analyses of different DNA data sets across organisms that inhabit the ?gray zone? between population and species will offer an opportunity to test the convergence of genetics and evolutionary history. The Caribbean Islands form a biodiversity hotspot with global conservation priority. These studies will contribute to outline conservation strategies for Caribbean cycads, which are all endangered species. Six students from a university with the largest proportion of Hispanic undergraduates in the USA will gain research opportunities though this project. The research brings together a multi-institutional research team with complementary strengths and a proven collaborative history.