9321599 Gensel Under the direction of faculty adviser Dr. Patricia Gensel at the University of North Carolina, graduate student Douglas Jensen is studying fossil materials of the extinct group of early land plants known as zosterophylls, which are thought to be related to the extant genus Lycopodium. Specimens from numerous museum collections are to be examined in an effort to amass data on comparable features of the stem, root, and spore-bearing structures of these primitive plants, in order to improve delimitation of recognizable species and genera and to infer phylogenetic relationships among the taxa. Of theoretical interest, the study will also include an investigation of how fragmentary fossil materials may be used in compiling data matrices for phylogenetic inference. New collections of fossil zosterophylls from around the world provide new sources of data for improved taxonomic discrimination in this group of primitive land plants and for rigorous hypotheses of phylogenetic relationship.

Agency
National Science Foundation (NSF)
Institute
Division of Environmental Biology (DEB)
Type
Standard Grant (Standard)
Application #
9321599
Program Officer
James E. Rodman
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
1994-02-01
Budget End
1996-07-31
Support Year
Fiscal Year
1993
Total Cost
$9,526
Indirect Cost
Name
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Chapel Hill
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27599