DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Investigating the accumulation of evidence for speciation: species delimitation in a rapid and recent radiation

尽管人们普遍认为物种形成是一个渐进的、持续的过程，物种的识别没有明确的界限，但据我们所知，还没有研究从比较系统发育的角度或跨时间尺度对物种特性的积累进行实证评估。本研究的研究目的是评估大部分南美植物属barsia L.的物种特性随时间变化的顺序和幅度。barsia L.是一组密切相关的物种，表现出不同程度的形态、生态和地理分化，但其进化关系尚不清楚。为了实现这一目标，建议的工作包括：1)使用包括分子、形态、生态和地理信息在内的多种证据对物种划界进行严格的评估；2)重建一个明确的物种系统发育；3)对物种固有特性积累进行进化比较分析。此外，由此产生的强健的南美巴西亚物种系统发育假说将为该类群未来的比较生态学和进化研究提供必要的框架。páramo被认为是世界上生物多样性最丰富的山地生态系统之一，更全面地了解páramo生物多样性对于制定有效的保护战略至关重要，因为这一生态系统具有重要的生态意义，同时也是脆弱的安第斯生态系统。为了积极帮助保护páramo，我们将参加几场关于安第斯山脉生物多样性模式的讲座，由秘鲁、厄瓜多尔和哥伦比亚的合作机构赞助和协调。

Although it is widely accepted that speciation is a gradual and constant process with no clear boundaries for the identification of species, to our knowledge, no study has empirically evaluated the accumulation of species properties across time scales or from a comparative phylogenetic perspective. The research objective of this study is to evaluate the order and magnitude of change in species properties over time in the mostly South American plant genus Bartsia L. - a group of closely related species that show varying degrees of morphological, ecological, and geographical differentiation, but for which the evolutionary relationships are as of yet, unknown. To accomplish this objective, the proposed work includes, 1) a rigorous assessment of species delimitation using multiple lines of evidence including molecular, morphological, ecological, and geographical information, 2) the reconstruction of a well-resolved species phylogeny, and 3) an evolutionary comparative analysis of the accumulation of the inherent properties of a species. In addition, the resulting robust phylogenetic hypothesis for the South American species of Bartsia will provide the necessary framework for future comparative ecological and evolutionary studies in this group.The páramo is considered one of the most biodiverse montane ecosystems in the world and a more thorough understanding of páramo biodiversity is essential for the development of effective conservation strategies for this ecologically important and fragile Andean ecosystem. To actively aid in the conservation of the páramo we will engage in several lectures about patterns of biodiversity in the Andes sponsored and coordinated by collaborating institutions in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.