The study of heavy metal tolerance has provided one of the most sources of data for understanding the processes of adaptation and natural selection. Jonathan Shaw was one of the primary players in the indepth exploration of this phenomenon among the mosses. The proposed research is a continuation of his interest in this group of organisms and this phenomenon, and it will extend that work to the study of patterns of evolution in the entire subfamily. The proposal will incorporate undergraduate students into the full scope of the research and provide them with valuable experience in planning and conducting a detailed and complete inquiry. Among the questions to be considered is the degree of genetic diversification among widely scattered populations of copper-mosses that are morphologically very similar.
