Phylogenetics an morphological diversification in capparaceae, cleomaceae, and brassicaceae

尽管我们对开花植物形态的多样性非常着迷，但我们对这种变化是如何产生的理解有限。我的研究目的是为了更好地理解两个关键性状差异的机制：果实结构和花的对称性。芥菜科中有一个被称为芸苔科的类群，它很重要，因为它包括作物物种（如油菜、西兰花），而且果实通常是分节的，这一特征极大地改变了种子的传播方式。种子在作物中的传播和控制转基因作物系统中的基因流动的重要性日益增加，以及自然生态系统中引种物种的日益流行，需要对果实发育遗传学和进化有详细的了解。刺山柑科的物种在花的形态上表现出令人印象深刻的变化，包括花的对称上的许多变化。这一性状对传粉者的相互作用有重要影响，包括促进物种形成和多样化。

Despite our fascination with the diversity of forms observed in flowering plants, our understanding of how this variation has arisen is limited. The goal of my research is to better understand the mechanisms underlying differences in two key traits: fruit structure and floral symmetry. A group within the mustard family, called the Brassiceae, is important because it includes crop species (e.g. canola, broccoli) and because the fruits are often segmented, a trait that dramatically alters how their seeds are dispersed. The increasing importance of seed dispersal in crop plants and controlling the gene flow in genetically modified crop systems, and the increasing prevalence of introduced species in natural ecosystems, necessitate a detailed knowledge of fruit developmental genetics and evolution. Species in the caper family reveal an impressive variation in floral form, including many changes in floral symmetry. This trait has a significant impact on pollinator interactions including promoting speciation and diversification.