The ginger genus Pleuranthodium: taxonomy and phylogeny
This genus has at least 23 species most of which are in New Guinea, but there are also a few species in the Solomon Islands, Australia, Sulawesi and maybe one in the Philippines. Thus most of the species are in Eastern Malesia, east of the important biogeographical boundary of Wallace's Line.
The genus is classified into two sections, Pleuranthodium section Pleuranthodium (anther not toothed, 13 spp.) and Pleuranthodium section Psychanthus (anther with two subapical teeth, 10 spp.). It is not known if these sections are supported as monophyletic by molecular evidence.
The genus has an interesting evolutionary history in that the origin is assumed to be from west of Wallace’s Line and the diversity of the genus a result of a dispersal to the east with subsequent radiation.
Objectives:
1. to confirm the monophyly of the genus
2. to test the two sections for monophyly
3. to elucidate the evolutionary history of the genus and relationship with the closest relatives
4. to write a taxonomic revision of at least one of the sections.
The MSc project may focus more on one or two of the four objectives listed above and the topic could accommodate two students.
Material:The project will be based on existing herbarium collections and DNA samples as well as material from new fieldwork in New Guinea (subject to sufficient funding).
Methods: Literature survey 10 %
Fieldwork in New Guinea 15 %
DNA sequencing 20 %
Phylogenetic analysis 10 %
Alpha-taxonomic revision 25 %
Write up 20%
Supervisors: Axel Dalberg Poulsen, axel.dalberg@nhm.uio.no
Charlotte Sletten Bjorå, charlotte.bjora@nhm.uio.no
