Collaborative Research: Exploring the Evolution of an Extreme Makeover in Ferns

合作研究：探索蕨类植物极端改造的进化

• 批准号: 1145614
• 负责人: Kathleen Pryer
• 金额: $ 39.74万
• 依托单位: Duke University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2012
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2012-02-01 至 2016-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1145614&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Exploring; Evolution; Extreme

The "maidenhair ferns" (belonging to the genus Adiantum) are quintessential ferns -- beautifully dissected, terrestrial, and shade-loving. The "shoe-string ferns" (belonging to a group known as vittarioids) are extremely different: highly simplified, canopy-dwelling epiphytes, with duplicated genomes that exhibit accelerated rates of molecular evolution. Surprisingly, Adiantum and the vittarioids are closely related, comprising a single branch of the tree of life -- a lineage that evidently witnessed an extreme morphological, ecological, and genomic makeover. The proposed research aims to first establish a robust phylogeny for these ferns through analyses of DNA sequence data. Subsequent analyses can then reveal the evolutionary history of the "maidenhair" to "shoestring" fern transformation.By better characterizing the evolutionary history of this extreme makeover in ferns, this study will better elucidate the evolutionary processes of morphological simplification, ecological transition, genome duplication, and molecular evolutionary rate acceleration. Because all of these processes are frequently encountered across the tree of life, but poorly understood, efforts here to uncover and characterize links among them are broadly relevant. This project encompasses a multidisciplinary training program to promote learning, teaching, and discovery, and is squarely aimed at undergraduate and graduate students interested in the areas of plant systematics, molecular evolution, and phylogenetics. The project will also pursue significant science education and outreach goals.

“ Maidenhair Ferns”（属于Adiantum属）是典型的蕨类植物 - 精美的剖析，陆地和喜欢阴影。 “鞋弦蕨类植物”（属于称为vittarioids的群体）是截然不同的：高度简化的，冠层的附生植物，具有复制的基因组，表现出分子进化速率加速的基因组。令人惊讶的是，Adiantum和Vittarioids密切相关，包括生命之树的一个分支 - 这种血统显然见证了极端的形态学，生态和基因组改造。拟议的研究旨在首先通过分析DNA序列数据来为这些蕨类植物建立强大的系统发育。然后，随后的分析可以揭示“ Maidenhair”的进化历史，以更好地表征蕨类植物在蕨类植物中这种极端改造的进化历史，这项研究将更好地阐明形态简化，生态过渡，基因组重复，基因组重复和分子进化的进化过程。由于所有这些过程经常在整个生命之树中遇到，但理解不佳，因此在这里揭示和表征它们之间的链接的努力与之相关。该项目涵盖了一项多学科培训计划，以促进学习，教学和发现，并旨在针对对植物系统学，分子进化和系统发育学领域感兴趣的本科和研究生。该项目还将实现重大的科学教育和外展目标。