IV. CONCEPTUAL ISSUES
As discussed above in several sections, we have broader goals in addition
to
monography. We see the monographs as the starting points for addressing a
variety
of issues. As detailed in the sections above, these plants have a number
of
characteristics that lend themselves to serving as a study system for
investigating
the application of species concepts, biogeography, reproductive biology,
and
diversification. For example, once we have the basic patterns of
relationships
documented, we will apply comparative phylogenetic tests to: (1) compare
divergence rates in morphology versus molecular characters; (2) look for
associations between particular reproductive modes and divergence rates
(i.e., some
taxa appear to be entirely asexually reproducing, since sporpophytes are
unknown,
while other taxa appear to frequently reproductive sexually since they
are dioicous
yet produce sporophytes frequently, which must therefore be the result of
a cross);
(3) search for congruence between cladograms of different groups within
the
Calymperaceae and in other organisms to look for shared patterns of
dispersal or
vicariance.
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