Molecular Phylogenetic and Phylogeographic Studies of Chrestinae (Compositae, Vernonieae)

• Grant number: 16/12446-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 15, 2016
• End date: September 14, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Plant Taxonomy
• Principal Investigator: José Rubens Pirani
• Grantee: Carolina Moriani Siniscalchi
• Supervisor: Jennifer Mandel
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Memphis (U of M), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 13/18189-2 - Systematics and evolution of Chrestinae (Compositae, Vernonieae), BP.DR

Abstract

Since the first naturalists, the abundant biodiversity of Neotropical regions has intrigued scientists and motivated studies of several types. Understanding evolutionary processes that led to the current biodiversity can help delimitating taxonomic entities, and consequently guide conservation and sustainability efforts. Large and widespread plant families provide interesting questions regarding evolutionary processes related to diversification and biogeography. Asteraceae is one of the largest families of Angiosperms, and about 2000 species are found on Brazil. Chrestinae is a small, monogeneric subtribe from Vernonieae, almost endemic from Brazil, and is composed by 15 species distributed mainly in the Caatinga and Cerrado. It presents a large morphological diversity that has motivated the current doctorate project, involving understanding the evolutionary processes that led to the current diversity, through a well resolved phylogeny, a population study and study of morphological features. In the proposed internship, the main objective is to carry on the molecular work necessary to complete the phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies and analyze the obtained data.

Scientific publications

(5)

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

MANDEL, JENNIFER R.; BARKER, MICHAEL S.; BAYER, RANDALL J.; DIKOW, REBECCA B.; GAO, TIAN-GANG; JONES, KATY E.; KEELEY, STERLING; KILIAN, NORBERT; MA, HONG; SINISCALCHI, CAROLINA M.; et al. The Compositae Tree of Life in the age of phylogenomics. JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION, v. 55, n. 4, SI, p. 405-410, JUL 2017. (16/12446-1)

SINISCALCHI, CAROLINA M.; LOEUILLE, BENOIT; DE SIQUEIRA FILHO, JOSE ALVES; PIRANI, JOSE R.. Chresta artemisiifolia (Vernonieae, Asteraceae), a new endangered species from a recently created protected area in the Brazilian Caatinga. PHYTOTAXA, v. 399, n. 2, p. 119-126, MAR 26 2019. (16/12446-1, 13/18189-2)

SINISCALCHI, CAROLINA M.; LOEUILLE, BENOIT; FUNK, VICKI A.; MANDEL, JENNIFER R.; PIRANI, JOSE R.. Phylogenomics Yields New Insight Into Relationships Within Vernonieae (Asteraceae). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE, v. 10, OCT 17 2019. (16/12446-1, 13/18189-2)

MANDEL, JENNIFER R.; DIKOW, REBECCA B.; SINISCALCHI, CAROLINA M.; THAPA, RAMHARI; WATSON, LINDA E.; FUNK, VICKI A.. A fully resolved backbone phylogeny reveals numerous dispersals and explosive diversifications throughout the history of Asteraceae. PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v. 116, n. 28, p. 14083-14088, JUL 9 2019. (16/12446-1)

MANDEL, JENNIFER R.; BARKER, MICHAEL S.; BAYER, RANDALL J.; DIKOW, REBECCA B.; GAO, TIAN-GANG; JONES, KATY E.; KEELEY, STERLING; KILIAN, NORBERT; MA, HONG; SINISCALCHI, CAROLINA M.; et al. The Compositae Tree of Life in the age of phylogenomics. JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION, v. 55, n. 4, p. 6-pg., 2017-07-01. (16/12446-1)