Tropical rainforests harbor the highest tree diversity on earth, yet very few evolutionary studies are aimed at understanding the mechanisms involved in the process of speciation in tropical trees. This study will improve our understanding of evolution by systematically examining the factors involved when one species begins to diverge and become two species. The Amazonian tree, Protium subserratum provides an ideal study system because populations on white-sand habitats and clay habitats have different leaf characters and are easily distinguished in the field. Genetic studies show that populations that are specialized on different soil types mate with each other less frequently than would be expected despite the fact that their reproductive structures are similar and they flower at the same time. These results suggest that populations found on different soil types are diverging and in the process of forming a new species. A combination of field experiments, population genetics and natural history observations will be used to determine what factors are most important in driving the creation of new tree species in tropical environments.
In addition to being among the first studies to explicitly examine the role of reproductive isolating mechanisms in trees, this research will foster the training of undergraduate students in population genetic techniques and support collaborations with Peruvian students. The results of this research will also be disseminated widely through publication in Spanish.
