Understanding the generation and maintenance of biodiversity – one of the key goals of evolutionary biology – requires addressing two fundamental processes: the evolution of phenotypic novelty and diversity, and lineage diversification (i.e. speciation and extinction). My broad research interests encompass these two processes and how they might interact to produce existing patterns of diversity.
In my dissertation work, I focused on the angiosperms (flowering plants) and their floral diversity. Floral traits are critical for both ecological interactions and reproductive success, and have long been implicated as a key innovation driving the extensive species richness of this clade. Thus, examining floral evolution is a promising avenue for better understanding biodiversity. Species of my study system, Jaltomata(Solanaceae), are native to the Neotropics and encompass a surprising amount of floral trait variation despite being relatively recently diverged (<5 MYA). I focused on 10 species that span major axes of floral divergence, such as overall floral shape and size, petal and nectar color, and nectar volume. To obtain a more integrated understanding of floral evolution and speciation in this system, my dissertation had 4 main research goals: 1) link observed morphological differences among species to differences in developmental patterns and processes; 2) examine the underlying genetic architecture of floral trait divergence between closely related species; 3) quantify patterns of reproductive isolation (RI) across multiple reproductive stages; and 4) assess evidence for a shared mechanistic (genetic and/or developmental) basis between phenotypic evolution and speciation. This work was funded by Indiana University, the NSF (including the GRFP and DDIG), a NIH training grant in genetics/development, and alumni research fellowships from Amherst College.
Pollen tubes growing down a flower style, post-pollination.
Nectar samples from various species.
Scanning electron micrograph of early floral buds.
In my current postdoctoral research, I am characterizing maize mutants with floral-related phenotypic defects.
As a postdoc at UVM, I continued to examine the underlying genetic and developmental basis of floral divergence in Jaltomata and related Petunia, but my primary work involved functional analysis of candidate genes contributing to cold tolerance and adaptation in the Pooideae grasses (includes wheat, barley, and the model Brachypodium). This work was funded by the NSF.