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The Evolution Of Floral Symmetry Across The Plant Order Lamiales, Jinshun Zhong
The Evolution Of Floral Symmetry Across The Plant Order Lamiales, Jinshun Zhong
Dissertations
Bilaterally symmetrical corollas have evolved independently numerous times from radially symmetrical ancestors and are thought to represent adaptation to specific pollinators. However, evolutionary losses of bilateral symmetry have occurred sporadically in different lineages. CYC2-like and RAD-like are genes needed for the normal development of bilateral symmetry in snapdragon corollas. However, exactly how changes in the floral symmetry patterning genes correlate with the origin and loss of floral bilateral remains poorly known. To address this question, a densely sampled phylogeny of CYC2-like genes across the order Lamiales was inferred and calibrated. The expression patterns of these genes in early diverging and …
Diversification And Coexistence In The Madagascar Olive (Noronhia, Oleaceae), Cynthia Hong-Wa
Diversification And Coexistence In The Madagascar Olive (Noronhia, Oleaceae), Cynthia Hong-Wa
Dissertations
The long-isolated island of Madagascar provides a suitable setting for studying species diversification, with most groups of organisms there both radiating and showing a high level of endemism. Noronhia is one of these groups and represents the most successful radiation of the olive family (Oleaceae) in Madagascar, with ca. 80 species. In this study, using plastid and nuclear DNA sequences obtained from a comprehensive sampling both within Noronhia and the family, I show that Noronhia, together with Indian Ocean species of Chionanthus, form a monophyletic clade sister to African Chionanthus. The diversification of Noronhia followed a likely Cenozoic dispersal from …