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I am an evolutionary biologist
interested in explaining patterns of diversity in flowering plants. My research focuses on understanding the
biology and evolution of apomixis, which is a unique form of reproduction by which
plants make clones of themselves through seed. Apomixis is widespread in plants but our
knowledge of the origin and evolution of the trait is poor. There is broad interest in improving our
understanding of apomixis in order to facilitate agronomics, comprehend
better wildtype sexual reproduction, and to elucidate processes of
diversification in apomictic plant groups. My study system is the common daisy
fleabane, Erigeron annuus, which forms a diverse species complex in eastern |
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I use an evolutionary genetic
approach that combines genetic, phylogenetic, and geographic analyses to
produce a detailed evolutionary portrait of apomixis in natural
populations. My research focuses on
the evolutionary genetics of apomixis in Erigeron
annuus and E. strigosus (sunflower
family — Asteraceae). These plants are
annuals, which makes them ideal for crosses and experiments. My goal is to understand the evolutionary
history of the gene regions linked to apomixis, and to study their dynamics
in nature. To that end, I use: 1)
crosses and genetic mapping to explore the genetic architecture and
inheritance of apomixis (Figs. 1-3), 2) analyses of gene sequence variation
to investigate the phylogenetic relationships among sexual diploid and
apomictic polyploid populations, and, 3) geographical analysis to explore the
ecology of asexual vs. sexual reproduction. |
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