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DNA Studies Required
The following have been
suggested as projects requiring further work or research in the field of population
genetics and intra-species DNA research. Do you have any of your own that you think need
to be addressed?
1. Pr roupelliae. Is hamiltonii a separate species?
(Ed Witkowski at Wits is working on this)
2. Is Pr laetans distinct from Pr gaguedi? John Beard has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons and suggested that Pr laetans is just a form of Pr gaguedi. However, it appears to have enough features to validate species status. Does the genetics support this?
3. Are the Silver Tree populations off the Peninsula natural? It has been suggested that the Silver Tree is a Peninsula endemic. Unfortunately for this view, there are small populations of Silver Trees at Paarl Mountain, Simonsberg, Tygerberg Hill and Somerset West. If they are not natural, is it possible to trace which Peninsula population they arose from? A problem here is that there has been so much planting on the Peninsula that the population genetics may have been irretrievable messed up. Is there evidence of this - are the Peninsula populations panmictic or geographically differentiated?
4. Is Ld sericeum distinct from Ld nitidum?
5. Is Ld touwsrivierensis genetically distinct from Ld tinctum?
6. What is the genetic differentiation between the Ld tinctum/pubibracteolatum populations - should this be sunk into one species?
7. Both Ld elimense and Ld modestum have some populations containing small and large forms. Are these due to hybridization? Alternatively, are the two forms genetically identical?
8. Pr caffra is very variable. In the past several subspecies, species and forms were recognized. Some of these include the larger redder form from the escarpment (Pr rhodantha), the long-falcate leaf form from Barberton (Pr rhodantha falcata), and the Natal Lowland form (Pr multibracteata). Rebelo has suggested tongue-in-cheek that these forms are either hybrids with or converging in evolution with Pr rubropilosa, curvata and simplex, respectively. Is there any genetic evidence that the populations are distinct or that hybridization may have occurred?
9. The southern forms of Di proteoides are more sprawling and have longer leaves and heads than the northern forms. Are they genetically distinct and should they have separate status?
10.A longer shot. In Zimbabwe in areas where there were few plants we found a lot of hybrids. Is there evidence for hybridization in Gauteng/NP when different proteas co-occur with one of them in very small numbers?
11. A longer shot. In Zimbabwe in areas where there were few plants we found a lot of hybrids. Is there evidence for hybridization in Gauteng/NP when different proteas co-occur with one of them in very small numbers?
Tony Rebelo
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