Meeting: Working Group

Floral assembly: Quantifying the composition of a complex adaptive structure

Date30-Jan-2010 ~ 1-Feb-2010
ProjectFloral assembly: quantifying the composition of a complex adaptive structure
SummaryFlowers are both incredibly diverse, and evolutionarily labile. Furthermore, the relationship between floral structure and function is well documented, as are the many selective agents responsible for floral diversification. We know relatively little, however, about how the many traits that comprise a functioning flower have been assembled over the course of evolutionary history. The focus of our working group is to understand the evolutionary history of flowers. We propose to bring together experts in several fields pertaining to floral biology, including genetics, development, ecological function, systematics, and evolution. Together, we will define a research agenda for considering floral evolution from a multivariate perspective and promote the flower as a model system for understanding the evolution of complex traits.