A5025917765- Plant and animal studies
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Ginger and Zingiberaceae research
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Fern and Epiphyte Biology
- Banana Cultivation and Research
- Plant Reproductive Biology
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Forest ecology and management
- Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Scarabaeidae Beetle Taxonomy and Biogeography
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Botanical Studies and Applications
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
National Museum of Natural History
2016-2025
Smithsonian Institution
2016-2025
Dartmouth College
2022
Harvard University
2022
U.S. National Arboretum
2022
University of Würzburg
2017
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
2016
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
2004-2015
University of Minnesota
2011
Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden
2006
DNA barcoding involves sequencing a standard region of as tool for species identification. However, there has been no agreement on which region(s) should be used land plants. To provide community recommendation plant barcode, we have compared the performance 7 leading candidate plastid regions (atpF-atpH spacer, matK gene, rbcL rpoB rpoC1 psbK-psbI and trnH-psbA spacer). Based assessments recoverability, sequence quality, levels discrimination, recommend 2-locus combination rbcL+matK...
We present the results of two exploratory parsimony analyses DNA sequences from 475 and 499 species seed plants, respectively, representing all major taxonomic groups.The data are exclusively chloroplast gene rbcL, which codes for large subunit ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO or RuBPCase).We used different state-transformation assumptions resulting in sets cladograms: (i) equal-weighting 499-taxon analysis; (ii) a procedure that differentially weights transversions...
Methods for identifying species by using short orthologous DNA sequences, known as “DNA barcodes,” have been proposed and initiated to facilitate biodiversity studies, identify juveniles, associate sexes, enhance forensic analyses. The cytochrome c oxidase 1 sequence, which has found be widely applicable in animal barcoding, is not appropriate most of plants because a much slower rate gene evolution higher than animals. We therefore propose the nuclear internal transcribed spacer region...
A useful DNA barcode requires sufficient sequence variation to distinguish between species and ease of application across a broad range taxa. Discovery for land plants has been limited by intrinsically lower rates evolution in plant genomes than that observed animals. This low rate complicated the trade-off finding locus is universal readily sequenced sufficiently high divergence at species-level.
A phylogenetic analysis of a combined data set for 560 angiosperms and seven outgroups based on three genes, 18S rDNA (1855 bp), rbcL (1428 atpB (1450 bp) representing total 4733 bp is presented. Parsimony was expedited by use new computer program, the RATCHET. jackknifing performed to assess support clades. The combination sets numerous species has resulted in most highly resolved strongly supported topology yet obtained angiosperms. In contrast previous analyses single much spine tree...
A phylogenetic analysis of a combined data set for 560 angiosperms and seven outgroups based on three genes, 18S rDNA (1855 bp), rbcL (1428 atpB (1450 bp) representing total 4733 bp is presented. Parsimony was expedited by use new computer program, the RATCHET. jackknifing performed to assess support clades. The combination sets numerous species has resulted in most highly resolved strongly supported topology yet obtained angiosperms. In contrast previous analyses single much spine tree...
Increasing our understanding of Earth’s biodiversity and responsibly stewarding its resources are among the most crucial scientific social challenges new millennium. These require fundamental knowledge organization, evolution, functions, interactions millions planet’s organisms. Herein, we present a perspective on Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), moonshot for biology that aims to sequence, catalog, characterize genomes all eukaryotic over period 10 years. The outcomes EBP will inform broad...
The assembly of DNA barcode libraries is particularly relevant within species-rich natural communities for which accurate species identifications will enable detailed ecological forensic studies. In addition, well-resolved molecular phylogenies derived from these sequences have the potential to improve investigations mechanisms underlying community and functional trait evolution. To date, no studies effectively applied barcodes sensu strictu in this manner. report, we demonstrate that a...
Significance Theory holds that sympatric large mammalian herbivores (LMH) must partition food resources to coexist, and traditional frameworks categorize LMH along a spectrum from grass-eating grazers non–grass-eating browsers. Yet it has never been clear how finely the enormous species diversity subsumed within these two broad plant types. By sequencing DNA fecal samples, we analyzed diets of an assemblage in Kenya. Diet composition was similar strongly divergent across species,...
The pantropical Zingiberaceae is the largest family in order Zingiberales with 53 genera and over 1200 species. Classifications of first proposed 1889 refined by others since that time recognize four tribes (Globbeae, Hedychieae, Alpinieae, Zingibereae) based on morphological features, such as number locules placentation ovary, development staminodia, modifications fertile anther, rhizome-shoot-leaf orientation. New phylogenetic analyses DNA sequences nuclear internal transcribed spacer...
Significance Tolerance to high temperatures will determine the survival of animal species under projected global warming. Surprisingly little research has been conducted elucidate how this trait changes in organisms living at different elevations similar latitudes, especially tropics. DNA barcodes demonstrate that insect previously thought have broad elevational distributions and phenotypically plastic thermal tolerances actually comprise cryptic complexes. These occupy discrete ranges,...
Abstract DNA barcodes have provided a new biological tool for organismal biologists to increase their understanding of the natural world. Over last decade four plant barcode markers, rbcL , matK trnH‐psbA and ITS2, been developed, tested, used address basic questions in systematics, ecology, evolutionary biology conservation, including community assembly, species interaction networks, taxonomic discovery, assessing priority areas environmental protection. Forensic investigators also applied...
The study of biodiversity has tended to focus primarily on relatively information‐poor measures species diversity. Recently, many studies local diversity (alpha diversity) have begun use functional and phylogenetic alpha Investigations into the dissimilarity (beta communities been far less numerous, but these potential infer mechanisms underlying community assembly dynamics. Here, we relate levels beta mechanism or responsible for tree in six forests located tropical temperate latitudes....
November 2020 marked 2 y since the launch of Earth BioGenome Project (EBP), which aims to sequence all known eukaryotic species in a 10-y timeframe. Since then, significant progress has been made across aspects EBP roadmap, as outlined 2018 article describing project’s goals, strategies, and challenges (1). The phase ended clock started on reaching EBP’s major milestones. This Special Feature explores many facets EBP, including review progress, description scientific exemplar projects,...
Abstract Theory predicts shifts in the magnitude and direction of biodiversity effects on ecosystem function ( BEF ) over succession, but this theory remains largely untested. We studied relationship between aboveground tree biomass dynamics (Δbiomass) multiple dimensions 8–16 years eight successional rainforests. tested whether changes diversity–Δbiomass correlations reflect predictions niche theories. Diversity–Δbiomass were positive early weak later suggesting saturation space with...
The use of phylogenetic information in community ecology and conservation has grown recent years. Two key issues for phylogenetics studies, however, are (i) low terminal resolution (ii) arbitrarily defined species pools.We used three DNA barcodes (plastid regions rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA) to infer a phylogeny 527 native naturalized trees Puerto Rico, representing the vast majority entire tree flora island (89%). We maximum likelihood (ML) approach with without constraint that enforced monophyly...
Green plants play a fundamental role in ecosystems, human health, and agriculture. As de novo genomes are being generated for all known eukaryotic species as advocated by the Earth BioGenome Project, increasing genomic information on green land is essential. However, setting standards generation storage of complex set that characterize lineage life major challenge plant scientists. Such will need to accommodate immense variation genome size, transposable element content, structural...
Life on Earth has evolved from initial simplicity to the astounding complexity we experience today. Bacteria and archaea have largely excelled in metabolic diversification, but eukaryotes additionally display abundant morphological innovation. How these innovations come about what constraints are there origins of novelty continuing maintenance biodiversity Earth? The history life code for working parts cells systems written genome. BioGenome Project proposed that genomes all extant, named...