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Life Sciences Building, Room 330 |
Mailing Address:
Department of Biology
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Our lab uses molecular approaches to understand evolutionary patterns and processes
in plants. The primary focus of our research is to examine the
evolution, biogeography, and systematics of the angiosperm order Apiales,
which comprises two families: Apiaceae (the parsley or carrot family)
and Araliaceae (the ginseng or English ivy family). Also of interest
are the lineages related to Apiales (e.g., Pittosporaceae, Melanophylla,
Aralidium, Toricellia, Griselinia). Apiaceae and Araliaceae represent
one of the most troubling examples of the "Family-Pair Dilemma," i.e.,
a series of family pairs in which one family is mostly temperate and herbaceous,
whereas the other is mostly tropical and woody. Evolutionary relationships within
these family pairs have been difficult to resolve due to large amounts of parallel
and convergent evolution of morphological characters (presumably due to repeated
migrations of tropical lineages into the North temperate zones). In the order
Apiales, this problem is compounded by difficulties at almost every taxonomic
level, from species circumscriptions to the placement of this order among the
higher dicots. Together with collaborators, we have used DNA sequencing
data from several chloroplast and nuclear markers, as well as restriction site
analysis to reconstruct the evolutionary history of these groups.
In addition, we are also working on several local projects here in Virginia
including studies of population genetics (using RAPD and allozyme analyses)
and floristics.
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Principle Investigator: Dr. Greg Plunkett Systematics, evolution, and biogeography of Apiales (Araliaceae + Apiaceae) |
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Current Graduate Students:
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Pedro Fiaschi Ph.D. Dissertation: Phylogenetics of the Didymopanax group of Schefflera (Araliaceae).
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Antoine Nicolas Ph.D. Dissertation: Deeper-level relationships of Apiales, and Speciation Patterns in Myodocarpus (Myodocarpaceae).
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Manish Patel M.S. Thesis: Systematics of Polyscias sect. Tieghemopanax (Araliaceae), with an emphasis on P. dioica.
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Lab Alumni:
Former Post-doctoral Fellow:
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Former Post-doctoral Fellow: Dr. Greg Chandler Current Position: Assistant Professor, Univ. of North Carolina at Wilmingiton. Post-doctoral Research: Deeper-level relationships in Apiales using 26S nrDNA sequences. Doctoral Research: Systematics of Gastrolobium (Fabaceae)
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Former Graduate Students:
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Jonathan Eibl (M.S., 2000) Thesis Research: Molecular and morphological systematics of Polyscias section Teighemopanax (Araliaceae). |
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Jill Reid (M.S., 2001) Thesis Research: Molecular Systematics of the heterosprous fern genus Azolla. |
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Ninh Vu (M.S., 2001) Thesis Research: Molecular systematics of Indian Ocean basin Polyscias (Araliaceae) |
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Gary Jones (M.S., 2002)
Thesis Research: Population genetics of the invasive grass Phragmites australis on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. |
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Taylor Sprenkle (M.S., 2002) Thesis Research: Molecular systematics of the tribe Myodocarpeae (Araliaceae).
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Steve Pinney (M.S., 2002) Thesis Research: Molecular systematics of the angiosperm family Pittosporaceae. |
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Undergraduate Student Researchers:
Brandan Willis, Casey Seelig, Jason Noel, Maria Kunk, Paola Moncada,
Samual Nokuri, & Michele Burke.
