9407270 Sytsma This is a project to perform a detailed molecular historical analysis of the tropical plant families Myrtaceae (myrtle, eucalyptus, guava) and Melastomataceae (melastomes) and of the evening primroses (Onagraceae) using gene sequence from chloroplast DNA. The project addresses questions involving genealogical relationships of important tropical and worldwide families and an important model plant in comparative studies. It examines striking examples of adaptive radiations in floral biology, permits a comparison of the utility of morphological and molecular data in historical reconstructions, and allows for detailed analyses of genetic and DNA change through time.
