Phylogeny of the tribe Cecropieae Gaudich. (Urticaceae)

• Grant number: 14/10244-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: August 01, 2014
• End date: February 28, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Sergio Romaniuc Neto
• Grantee: André Luiz Gaglioti
• Host Institution: Instituto de Botânica. Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The tribe Cecropieae Gaudich. (Urticaceae) includes five genera and about 180 species. Cecropia, Coussapoa and Pourouma represent a diverse and abundant group of species, preferentially distributed in the tropical rainforests of Netropical region. Musanga and Myrianthus have Afrotropical distribution, with the greatest diversity of species concentrated in the moist areas of the tropical forests on the west coast of Africa. Molecular studies in Cecropieae are scarce and there is so far, a phylogeny that includes all genres. Furthermore, the systematic genus of Cecropieae as well as its position in Urticaceae are controversial. For presenting morphological characters intermediates between Moraceae and Urticaceae, this group was classified into four families (Artocarpeae, Cecropiaceae, Moraceae and Urticaceae), two subfamilies (Conocephaloideae and Cecropioideae) and five tribes (Artocarpeae property, Conocephaleae, Cecropieae, Pouroumeae and Urticeae). This project aims to reconstruct the phylogeny of Cecropieae, at species level, and propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for the tribe. The project, with the participation and integration of two research teams: one of them coordinated by Dr. Sergio Romaniuc Neto (Instituto de Botanica) and the other coordinated by Dr. George D. Weiblen (University of Minnesota), and two doctoral thesis associated. The resources required for the project will complement the final seven months of doctoral scholarship student. (AU)