Systematics & Evolution
A Framework to Study Plant Evolution and Biogeography
The mission of Environmental & Plant Biology researchers is to employ independent sources of data (e.g., morphology of living and extinct organisms, DNA variation) to infer phylogenetic relationships and to use the phylogeny as a framework to study character evolution and biogeography.
Participating Faculty
- Harvey E. Ballard, Jr. — Angiosperm Systematics and Evolution
- John Schenk — Plant Evolution, Plant Morphology, and Phylogenetics
- Morgan L. Vis — Freshwater Algal Systematics, Ecology and Evolution
Research Active Emeriti Faculty
- Philip D. Cantino — Plant Systematics
- James C. Cavender — Cellular Slime Molds
- Gar W. Rothwell — Organismal Botany, Paleontology, Evolution and Phylogeny
Current Projects
- Systematics (including phylogenetic analysis), classification and evolution of the violet family (Ballard)
- Polyploid evolution and Infrageneric groups of Viola (Ballard)
- Species-level systematic studies in eastern North American violets (Ballard)
- Genome construction and the genetic basis of the mixed breeding system in violets (Ballard & Wyatt)
- Evolution of Cretaceous and Cenozoic aquatic ferns (Hermsen)
- Phylogenetic analyses including fossil taxa and identification of fossil calibrations (Hermsen)
- Systematics of Cretaceous and Cenozoic plants of Patagonia, Argentina (Hermsen)
- Systematics of Freshwater Red Algae (Vis)
- Comparative Transcriptomics for Systematic Research (Vis)
- Biogeography/Phylogeography of Freshwater Red Algae (Vis)