Taxonomy is central in understanding biodiversity, from species names to legislation. Integrative taxonomy, incorporates traditional morphology with newer disciplines such as genomics, Artificial Intelligence, advanced microscopy, and chemistry. We use integrative taxonomy to identify and explore relationships among plant species.
ProjectSummary
Systematics & phylogeography
How are species defined? We focus on describing the Cycas species complexes in Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines) and also in Mexico, using integrative taxonomy. We collect samples in the field, determine their species using traditional morphological keys, and couple this information with genomic and chemical markers, to add layers of information. We are also exploring FTIR spectroscopy. Herbaria vouchers are studied with these methods to find new diagnostic traits such as unique metabolites or genomic regions. With this information we can construct phylogenies and test hypothesis on how species are defined, how they may have formed, and the relationships among them in a particular geographic region.
Who workson this project?
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