Diversity and evolution of Salvia: morphological and functional flower characters drive speciation within the genus

多样化和物种形成是由复杂的生物和非生物约束驱动的。鼠尾草属被选为我们跨学科方法的模型，因为它是一个大的，世界范围内分布的属，具有高度专业化的花结构，包括众所周知的雄蕊杠杆。各种昆虫和鸟类传粉者的多样性反映了鼠尾草的适应性辐射。该项目的目的是阐明该属的物种形成机制。我们假设雄蕊杠杆的结构和功能作为物种形成的关键结构起着重要作用。为了处理涉及的复杂进化过程，需要许多不同的方法方法。方法从功能形态学和生物力学到自然生境的生态野外调查和分子系统学。该项目包括详细的案例研究，允许量化形式和功能之间的相关性，并为进一步的比较研究建立一个全面的数据库。最终目的是理解表型多样性是一个动态过程，至少部分是由花和传粉者之间的共同进化驱动的。

Diversification and speciation are driven by complex biotic and abiotic constraints. The genus Salvia is chosen as a model of our interdisciplinary approach because it is a large, world-wide distributed genus with highly specialised flower structures including the well-known staminal levers. The adaptive radiation in Salvia is mirrored by a diversity of pollinators of various insect groups and birds. The intention of the project is to elucidate mechanisms of speciation in this genus. We hypothesise that structure and functioning of the staminal levers play a major role as key structures in speciation. To cope with the complex evolutionary processes involved, a number of different methodological approaches is needed. The methods range from functional morphology and biomechanics to ecological field investigations at natural habitats and molecular systematics. The project includes both, detail case studies allowing the quantification of the correlation between form and function and the set-up of a comprehensive database for further comparative studies. The ultimate aim is to understand phenotypic diversity as a dynamic process at least partly driven by the co-evolution between flowers and pollinators.