Abstract Detail

Phylogenomics

Brockington, Samuel F. [1], Yang, Ya [2], Moore, Michael J. [3], Smith, Stephen A. [2].

From Cacti to Carnivores: Using transcriptomics to explore the evolution of the highly diverse and globally distributed Caryophyllales.

This project will use the globally distributed and exceptionally diverse plant group Caryophyllales, to evaluate the extent to which changes in life history and ecophysiology in plants are correlated with changes in the evolutionary rate of the genome. The Caryophyllales contain ~6% of all flowering plant species and exhibit extreme life history diversity, including tropical trees, temperate herbs, long-lived succulent cacti, and a diverse array of carnivorous plants. Biologists have long known that different traits and genes evolve at different rates in different lineages of organisms, but it has often been difficult to understand the causes for these shifts in evolutionary rate. The major goal of this project is to leverage recent advances in genome sequencing technologies and computational methods to address these uncertainties. In collaboration with researchers all over the world, key traits will be characterized and >10,000 genes will be sequenced for 300 representative species of Caryophyllales. Rigorous analyses of evolutionary shifts in both traits and the genome will then be used to assess how life history and ecophysiology have influenced genomic evolution, and vice versa. These data will also yield insight into the evolution of several genetic pathways of fundamental importance in flowering plants, including those associated with the origin of petals, C4 and CAM photosynthesis, and plant pigmentation. 

1 - Department Of Plant Science, Downing Site, Cambridge, N/A, CB23AE, United Kingdom
2 - University of Michigan, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 2071A Kraus Natural Science Building, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
3 - Oberlin College, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, USA

Keywords:
Caryophyllales
phylogenomics
Photosynthesis
floral development
Pigmentation
drought tolerance
transcriptomics.

Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Topics
Session: P
Location: Eyrie/Boise Centre
Date: Monday, July 28th, 2014
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PPL001
Abstract ID:544
Candidate for Awards:None