RESEARCH
Overview
Below are major components of my research program, which involves recovering plant fossils from all around the world and characterizing them within a phylogenetic context. I directly incorporate these and other fossils into evolutionary analyses. Much of my focus is on the evolution of conifers and core eudicot angiosperms.
PERMINERALIZED PLANTS
Fossils are an irreplaceable data source for reconstructing macroevolutionary patterns and relationships. A major component of my research involves the recovery of plant fossils from important times of diversification. I specialize in the preparation and characterization of permineralized plants, which are three-dimensionally preserved at the cellular level.
CONIFERS
Conifers were the major canopy dominating plants for most of the Mesozoic. Throughout their evolutionary history, these plants displayed a wide range of morphologies, especially with their seed cones, which are often used as proxies for whole plants. Therefore, I'm interested in using fossil and living seed cones to infer macroevolutionary patterns of conifers, especially Cupressaceae.
CORE EUDICOTS
Core eudicots comprise over 70% of extant angiosperm species diversity and have an extensive fossil record dating back to the mid Cretaceous (~100 Ma). However, the early evolution of major core eudicot clades are unclear. In order to reconstruct the initial diversification of this diverse group, I'm engaged in recovering these plants from Cretaceous deposits and characterizing them within a phylogenetic context.
MACROEVOLUTION
Our understanding of the macroevolutionary patterns that have led to the diversity of plants we see today is highly limited. A major theme of my research is to identify clades common in the fossil record that could be useful for elucidating those patterns. Currently I'm focusing on the timing of major phylogenetic radiations and changes in morphological diversity (disparity) within core eudicots and Cupressaceae.
ANTARCTIC FOSSILS
Antarctica hasn't always been covered in ice and was an important area of diversification for many major plant lineages. Overall, recorded fossil data from this continent is limited as compared to other land masses. The Division of Paleobotany at KU has been a leading research group in the recovery and characterization of Antarctic plants. Publications coming soon!