近日，由中國科學院昆明植物研究所孫航研究員帶領的課題組，在國家重點基礎研究發展計劃（973）（2007CB411601）和國家自然科學基金（30625004, 40930209, 31000101）等項目的資助下，對分布在青藏高原—喜馬拉雅地區的絹毛苣屬（Soroseris）、肉菊屬（Stebbinsia）與合頭菊屬（Syncalathium）植物進行了分子系統發育和生物地理學研究，其目的在於探究青藏高原地區植物的物種成因以及進化模式。
菊科絹毛苣屬、肉菊屬與合頭菊屬為主要分布於青藏高原高海拔地區的特有類群。本研究利用ITS，trnL-F和psbA-trnH對三屬植物進了分子系統學分析和生物地理學探討，分析結果表明，肉菊應該歸併於絹毛苣屬，而合頭菊屬分為兩支：狹義合頭菊屬（Syncalathium s.str.）與康滇合頭菊（Syncalathium souliei），前者位於還陽參亞族，而後者位於萵苣亞族並與廣義萵苣屬親緣，所以康滇合頭菊應該作為Lactuca souliei放回原廣義萵苣屬，具體分類學處理將另行發表（新屬-假合頭菊屬Parasyncalathium）。
研究同時發現，這些類群在此區域存在著三種進化模式，如絹毛苣屬為一快速輻射進化而成的類群；狹義合頭菊屬為替代分布，進而發現其具有異域分化進程，本屬可能是從青藏高原東北部的甘肅、青海和四川逐步向青藏高原腹地演化；而狹義合頭菊屬與康滇合頭菊間由於同處於青藏高原惡劣的生態環境選擇壓力和氣候變化，進而存在形態趨同進化模式。生物地理學研究發現，廣義絹毛苣屬和原合頭菊屬均為年輕的分化類群，其大概起源和分化時間為1.56—8.44百萬年前；結合地質學資料和現有系統學研究結果推斷，這些年輕類群應該是在青藏高原的隆升過程中隨著環境的變化和流石灘生境的破碎化而形成。
該研究成果已在2011年出版的Taxon期刊上發表。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原文出處：
Taxon, Volume 60, Number 1, February 2011 , pp. 15-26(12)
Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of three closely related genera, Soroseris, Stebbinsia, and Syncalathium (Asteraceae, Cichorieae), endemic to the Tibetan Plateau, SW China
Zhang, Jian-Wen; Nie, Ze-Long; Wen, Jun; Sun, Hang
Soroseris, Stebbinsia, and Syncalathium are three genera of the sunflower family (Asteraceae) with restricted distributions on high screes of the Tibetan Plateau. We present a molecular analysis to test the monophyly of the genera, evaluate the phylogenetic relationships and construct their biogeographic diversification history. Nuclear ITS and plastid trnL-F and psbA-trnH fragments were analyzed with parsimony, Bayesian inference, and relaxed Bayesian dating for all species of Soroseris, Stebbinsia, and Syncalathium. Stebbinsia is part of a polytomy with several lineages of Soroseris. Syncalathium is biphyletic with Syn. souliei placed within subtribe Lactucinae and the remaining species close to the Soroseris-Stebbinsia clade within subtribe Crepidinae. Bayesian dating based on ITS sequences and using four fossil calibrations suggests that the stem and crown ages of the Soroseris-Stebbinsia clade and the two groups of Syncalathium are between 8.44 and 1.56 million years. Stebbinsia should be treated as a section of Soroseris and Syncalathium souliei should be excluded from Syncalathium and either placed in Lactuca s.l. or established as a new genus in Lactucinae. The remaining species are to be treated as Syncalathium s.str. in Crepidinae. The diversification of these groups in the Tibetan Plateau is of relatively young age, and can be explained by rapid diversification and radiation of the Soroseris-Stebbinsia clade, allopatric speciation within Syncalathium s.str. and convergent evolution of Syncalathium s.str. and Syn. souliei. The speciation events correlated with climatic change and fragmentation of scree habitats during the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Possible migration routes in Syncalathium s.str. from the northeast to the central and southern part of the Tibetan Plateau are suggested.