Plants exhibit a wide range of morphological diversity and many morphological traits in plants are agronomically important. For example leaves, the primary photosynthetic structure in plants, exhibit tremendous variation in shape and size. The field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) aims to understand how the developmental processes that control morphology have evolved. In the past few years, there have been extraordinary advances in this emerging field. Evo-devo studies extend the wealth of knowledge about developmental mechanisms in model plants to more distantly related plants, including crop plants, in order to understand how evolutionary events give rise to distinct morphologies and structures. Studies in evo-devo are beginning to uncover a greater understanding about the evolution of key morphological traits that can aid in enhancing crop productivity and yield. This proposal is for partial funding for the 25th Symposium in Plant Biology at the University of California, Riverside, "The Evolution of Plant Development", which will be held January 29 to 31, 2009. The aim of this conference is to bring together scientists using a wide range of approaches and at all career stages including undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and principal investigators, in order to provide a forum for sharing and discussing recent findings in the field of plant evo-devo. Each scientific session will include presentations from established scientists and early career scientists. Poster sessions will allow additional opportunities for scientific interactions. Ultimately, the synergism created at this meeting will stimulate plant evo-devo research and help to promote a comprehensive understanding of plant evolution and development.
