Descrizione del progetto
Scoprire i meccanismi della radiazione rapida delle piante
La comprensione del motivo per cui alcuni lignaggi generano velocemente una diversità di specie straordinariamente elevata si pone al centro della biologia. L’attuale paradigma sottintende che l’adattamento a differenti nicchie ecologiche e l’affermarsi della diversità fenotipica inneschino tali radiazioni rapide. Tuttavia, alcuni studi esistenti non si spingono a sperimentare un’ipotesi alternativa, secondo cui le radiazioni rapide potrebbero perfino essere provocate da processi non adattativi mediati, ad esempio, dall’isolamento geografico di alcuni lignaggi caratterizzati da nicchie ecologiche simili. Con l’obiettivo di scoprire in che modo l’insieme dei processi adattativi e non adattativi influisca sulla radiazione rapida, il progetto RadiPhyte, finanziato dall’UE, si concentrerà sulla specie Dianthus in Euroasia, che mostra la più rapida radiazione delle piante conosciuta. Il progetto verterà su tre aspetti principali: filogenomica, modellizzazione di nicchie ecologiche ed evoluzione dei tratti fenotipici.
Obiettivo
Understanding why some lineages rapidly generate exceptionally high species diversity (undergo rapid radiation) lies at the heart of our understanding of biodiversity and is a key question in biology. Adaptation to different ecological niches together with rise of phenotypic diversity is considered to trigger rapid radiations. However, existing studies fail to test the alternative (or null) hypothesis, namely that a rapid radiation is driven by non-adaptive processes mediated by geographic isolation of lineages with similar ecological niches. In order to uncover the contributions of adaptive and non-adaptive processes to a rapid radiation, I will focus on the radiation of Dianthus in Eurasia, the most rapid plant radiation known. RadiPhyte aims at developing a novel, integrative perspective on evolutionary radiations, beyond the narrow focus on adaptive radiations, to unravel the driving forces in this plant radiation. RadiPhyte will focus on three key aspects: phylogenomics, ecological niche modelling, and phenotypic trait evolution, and will encompass species from the biodiversity hotspots across the Mediterranean mountains and from the semi-arid/arid mountains of Irano-Anatolia, Caucasus and Central Asia which are not only highly biodiverse but severely understudied and threatened by climate change. RadiPhyte combines the strengths of the host in ecological genomics of adaptive processes in Dianthus, with those of the applicant in phylogenetics, ecological niche modelling, and geometric morphometrics. RadiPhyte will thus promote a two-way transfer of knowledge between the host and the applicant and create important synergies. RadiPhyte comprises a comprehensive dissemination strategy, and is in line with the “climate change action in developing countries with fragile mountainous ecosystems from a sub-regional perspective” of the EU with the aim to integrate the knowledge gained in the continental arid regions with those available within Europe.
Campo scientifico
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinatore
8092 Zuerich
Svizzera