9624507 Soltis This dissertation project explores biological diversity in the flowering plant genus Heuchera and its relatives. The primary goal is to explain how developmental patterns evolve to create diversity. DNA sequence variation will be used to infer evolutionary relationships in this group. Traditionally, floral evolution has been viewed as proceeding from superior ovaries towards inferior ovaries within taxonomic groups. Preliminary studies of the Heuchera group suggest other reasonable alternatives that should be tested. To explore the avenues along which inferior ovaries have evolved I will: (1) analyze DNA sequence variation to reveal relationships within the Heuchera group; (2) characterize the floral development of crucial taxa with electron and light microscopes; and (3) map developmental data onto the hypothesis of relationships to deduce how changes in development create specific patterns of diversity. Hence, this project combines the strengths of analysis of DNA variation with developmental approaches to understand the generation of plant diversity.
