The Environmental & Plant Biology Colloquium Series presents Dr. John M. MacDougal on “Passionflowers: Morphology and Patterns of Character Evolution in Passiflora, subgenus Decaloba” on Friday, April 3, at 11:50 a.m. in Porter 104.
Dr. John MacDougal
MacDougal is a professor at the Harris-Stowe State University.
Abstract: Recent collaborative work has reconstructed the phylogeny of the clade of small-flowered species, subgenus Decaloba (235 spp.). The model tree, based on four genes, is used as a hypothesis upon which morphological characters are mapped. Starting from a broad phylogenetic perspective of the subgenus, I will focus on questions about specific character states by mapping them onto and within several well-defined lineages (sections). This reveals ecologically important trends, polarities, reversals, and convergent evolution, especially in regards to pollinators and leaf shape.
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