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Vincent Merckx

Vincent Merckx

Mijn onderzoek focust op de evolutie en diversificatie  van mycoheterotrofische angiospermen, arbusculaire mycorrhiza-schimmels om precies te zijn. Dit bevat het maken van reconstructies van hun eigen fylogenetische relaties en applicaties van moleculaire klok-technieken om hieruit hun biogeografische geschiedenis af te leiden. Ik ben een zogeheten Research Fellow bij Naturalis Biodiversity Center.  Mijn PhD heb ik in 2008 behaald in Plant en Systematiek aan de Universiteit van Leuven over de evolutie van mycoheterotrofie in Dioscoreales.

Keywords

Biogeografie, mycoheterotrofie, diversificatie, mycorrhizas, moleculaire klok datering, mutualisme, parasitisme, angiospermen, glomeromycota

Dr. Vincent Merckx

Groepleider
Understanding evolution

vincent.merckx@naturalis.nl
+31 (0)71 751 91 61
@VMer

Onderzoek
interesses

Ik ben altijd geïnteresseerd geweest in bijzondere, vreemde planten. Extreme adaptaties van planten in ongewone omgevingen laten echt zien waar evolutie toe in staat is.

Gedurende mijn studies leerde ik over de fascinerende mycoheterotrofische planten. Deze planten hebben geen licht nodig om te kunnen groeien, maar verteren bodemschimmels met hun wortels om zo voort te kunnen leven, zoals ik in deze video uitleg. Doordat ze zo zeldzaam en moeilijk te vinden zijn, weten wij nog weinig over hun biologie. Om deze geheimen van de mycoheterotrofische planten te kunnen ontdekken, reis ik naar afgelegen regenwouden om ze te bestuderen en verzamelen. Hier in Nederland gebruik ik het DNA van deze planten om hun evolutionaire geschiedenis te traceren en de bijbehorende schimmel gastheer te kunnen identificeren. De resultaten van dit onderzoek leveren inzicht en begrip in deze opmerkelijke organismen, maar laten ook zien hoe en waar mutualistische interacties in de natuur kunnen evolueren naar antagonistische interacties.

mycoheterotrophy
Plants

Actuele
onderwerpen

Lees hier meer over mijn onderzoek (in het Engels).

ARISE logo rond

ARISE: Nederlandse soorten kennen en herkennen

In het project ARISE bouwt Naturalis samen met het Westerdijk Instituut en de universiteiten van Amsterdam en Twente aan een infrastructuur die alle (meercellige) Nederlandse soorten kan herkennen en in kaart brengen. Elke soort, op elke manier, snel, en…
Lees meer

Belangrijke
publicaties

  • Njunjić I., Perrard A., Hendriks K., Schilthuizen M., Perreau M., Merckx V.S.F.T., Baylac M., Derharveng L. 2018. Comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the Anthroherpon radiation (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Leptodirini). PLOS ONE 13: e0198367.
  • Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Saavedra S. 2017. Fungal‐host diversity among mycoheterotrophic plants increases proportionally to their fungal‐host overlap. Ecology and Evolution 7: 3623-3630.
  • Jacquemyn H., Waud M., Merckx V.S.F.T., Brys R., Tyteca D., Hedrén M., Lievens B. 2016. Habitat-driven variation in mycorrhizal communities in the terrestrial orchid genus Dactylorhiza. Scientific Reports 6: 37182.
  • Merckx V.S.F.T., Hendriks K.P., Beentjes K.K., Mennes C.B., Becking L.E., Peijnenburg K.T.C.A., Afendy A., Arumugam N., de Boer H., Biun A., Buang M.M., Chen P.-P., Chung A.Y.C., Dow R., Feijen F.A.A., Feijen H., Feijen-van Soest C, Geml J., Geurts R., Gravendeel B., Hovenkamp P., Imbun P., Ipor I., Janssens S.B., Jocqué M. Kappes H., Khoo E., Koomen P., Lens F., Majapun R.J., Morgado L.N., Neupane S., Nieser N., Pereira J.T., Rahman H., Sabran S., Sawang A., Schwallier R.M., Shim P.-S., Smit H., Sol N., Spait M., Stech M., Stokvis F., Sugau J.B., Suleiman M., Sumail S., Thomas D.C., van Tol J., Tuh F.Y.Y., Yahya B.E., Nais J., Repin R., Lakim M. & Schilthuizen M. 2015. Evolution of endemism on a young tropical mountain. Nature 524: 347-350.

PhD
supervisie

Naturalis wil een vruchtbare bodem vormen voor wetenschappelijk talent uit binnen- en buitenland. Daarom hebben PhD-kandidaten een speciale positie binnen onze organisatie.

PhD's currently under my supervision:

Andres

Onderwijs
activiteiten

  • Sinds 2014 ben ik co-organisator (samen met Prof. Menno Schilthuizen) en docent van de MSc cursus ‘Tropical Biodiversity’ aan de Universiteit Leiden (2 weken) en Danau Girang Field Station, Sabah, Maleisië (2 weken).
  • Sinds 2013 ben ik co-docent van de BSc Minor ‘Biodiversity’ aan de Universiteit Leiden. Daarnaast doceer ik in de veld excursrie ‘Flora Excursie’ op BSc level aan de Universiteit Leiden.
  • Sinds 2012 ben ik docent van het onderdeel ‘Phylogenetics’ en het bijbehorende practicum voor de BSc cursus ‘Evolutiebiologie’ aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam (UvA).

In de
media

NPO Radio 1  heeft in hun programma Vroege Vogels, wat over natuur en wetenschap gaat, een ‘radio portret’ over mij en mijn werk over plankton gemaakt in augustus 2018.

In 2016 heeft Vroege Vogels al eerder een artikel gepubliceerd over een onderzoek waar ik aan meegewerkt heb.

Nature Today heeft in maart 2020 een artikel gepubliceerd over de expeditie in Borneo die ik co-organiseer.

 

Planten en schimmels

Publicaties

2024

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V.S.F.T., Gomes S.I.F., Wang D., Verbeek C., Jacquemyn H., Zahn F.E., Gebauer G., Bidartondo M.I. 2024. Mycoheterotrophy in the wood-wide web.. Nature Plants 10: 9 p. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-024-01677-0
Martorelli I., Pooryousefi A., Thiel H. van, Sicking F., Ramackers G., Merckx V., Verbeek F. 2024. Multiple graphical views for automatically generating SQL for the MycoDiversity DB; making fungal biodiversity studies accessible.. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e119660. DOI https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e119660
2023

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Wang D., Gebauer G., Jacquemyn H., Zahn F.E., Gomes S.I.F., Lorenz, J., Hagen H. van der, Schilthuizen, M., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2023. Variation in mycorrhizal communities and the level of mycoheterotrophy in grassland and Forest populations of Neottia ovata (Orchidaceae).. Functional Ecology 37 (7) : 14 p. 1948-1961. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14354
Garrett N., Viruel J., Klimpert N., Soto Gomez M., Lam V.K.Y., Merckx V.S.F.T., Graham S.W. 2023. Plastid phylogenomics and molecular evolution of Thismiaceae (Dioscoreales).. American Journal of Botany 110 (4) : e16141. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.16141
2022

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Thi L.L., Mertens A., Vu D.T., Vu T.D., Minh P.L.A., Duc H.N., Backer S. de, Swennen R., Vandelook F., Panis B., Amalfi M., Decock C., Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Janssens S.B. 2022. Diversity of Fusarium associated banana wilt in northern Viet Nam.. MycoKeys 87: 53-76. DOI https://doi.org/10.3897/mycokeys.87.72941
Gomes S.I.F., Kikuchi I.A.B.S., Lachenaud O., Perdomo J., Leotard G., Maas P.J.M., Maas-van de Kamer H., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2022. Unravelling the species diversity, phylogeny and biogeography of the mycoheterotrophic Voyrieae (Gentianaceae) and the description of a new species.. Taxon: 1-12. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12765
Fernandes Gomes S.I., Fortuna M.A., Bascompte J., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2022. Mycoheterotrophic plants preferentially target arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi that are highly connected to autotrophic plants.. New Phytologist 235 (5) : 12 p. 2034-2045. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18310
Lin Q., Braukmaan T.W.A., Soto Gomez M., Sampaio Mayer J.L., Pinheiro F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Stefanović S., Graham S.W. 2022. Mitochondrial genomic data are effective at placing mycoheterotrophic lineages in plant phylogeny.. New Phytologist 236 (5) : 14 p. 1908-1921. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18335
2021

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Hooft van Huysduynen A., Janssens S., Merckx V., Vos R., Valente L., Zizka A., Larter M., Karabayir B., Maaskant D., Witmer Y., Fernández-Palacios J.M., Nascimento L. de, Jaén-Molina R., Caujapé Castells J., Marrero-Rodríguez Á., Arco M. del, Lens F. 2021. Temporal and palaeoclimatic context of the evolution of insular woodiness in the Canary Islands.. Ecology and Evolution 11 (17) : 12220-12231. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7986
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.7986
Zhao Z., Li X., Liu M.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Saunders R.M.K., Zhang D. 2021. Specificity of assemblage, not fungal partner species, explains mycorrhizal partnerships of mycoheterotrophic Burmannia plants. ISME Journal 15: 1614-1627. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41396-020-00874-x
Pecoraro L., Rasmussen H.N., Gomes S.I.F., Wang X., Merckx V.S.F.T., Cai L., Rasmussen F.N. 2021. Fungal diversity driven by bark features affects phorophyte preference in epiphytic orchids from southern China. Scientific Reports 11: 11287. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-90877-1
2020

Journals non-SCI, peer-reviewed

Martorelli I., Helwerda L.S., Kerkvliet J., Gomes S.I.F., Nuytinck J., Werff C.R.A. van der, Ramackers G.J., Gultyaev A.P., Merckx V.S.F.T., Verbeek F.J. 2020. Fungal metabarcoding data integration framework for the MycoDiversity DataBase (MDDB). Journal of Integrative Bioinformatics 17 (1) : 20190046. DOI https://doi.org/10.1515/jib-2019-0046

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Shepeleva E.A., Schelkunov M.I., Hroneš M., Sochor M., Dančák M., Merckx V.S.F.T., Kikuchi I., Chantanaorrapint S., Suetsugu K., Tsukaya H., Mar S.S., Luu H.T., Li H.-Q., Logacheva, M.D., Nuraliev M.S. 2020. Phylogenetics of the mycoheterotrophic genus Thismia (Thismiaceae: Dioscoreales) with a focus on the Old World taxa: delineation of novel natural groups and insights into the evolution of morphological traits. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 193: 287-315. DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/botlinnean/boaa017
Janssens S.B., Couvreur T.L.P., Mertens A., Dauby G., Dagallier L.-P.M.J., Vanden Abeele S., Vandelook F., Mascarello M., Beeckman H., Sosef M., Droissart V., Bank M. van den, Maurin O., Hawthorne W., Marshall C., Rejou-Mechain M., Beina D., Baya F., Merckx V., Verstraete B., Hardy O. 2020. A large-scale species level dated angiosperm phylogeny for evolutionary and ecological analyses. Biodiversity Data Journal 8: e39677. DOI https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.8.e39677
Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Kehl J., Gebauer G. 2020. Mycoheterotrophic plants living on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are generally enriched in(13)C,N-15 and(2)H isotopes. Journal of Ecology 108 (4) : 1250-1261. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.13381
Giesemann P., Eichenberg D., Stöckel M., Seifert L.F., Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Gebauer G. 2020. Dark septate endophytes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Paris‐morphotype) affect the stable isotope composition of ‘classically’ non‐mycorrhizal plants. Functional Ecology 34 (12) : 2453-2466. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.13673
Soudzilovskaia N.A., Vaessen S., Barcelo M., He J., Rahimlou S., Abarenkov K., Brundrett M.C., Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V., Tederesoo L. 2020. FungalRoot: global online database of plant mycorrhizal associations. New Phytologist 227 (3) : 955-966. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.16569
2019

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Gomes S.I.F., Bodegom P. van, Merckx V.S.F.T., Soudzilovskaia N.A. 2019. Global distribution patterns of mycoheterotrophy. Global Ecology and Biogeography 28 (28) : 1133-1145. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12920
Gomes S.I.F., Bodegom P.M. van, Merckx V.S.F.T., Soudzilovskaia N.A. 2019. Environmental drivers for cheaters of arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis in tropical rainforests. New Phytologist 223: 1575-1583. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15876
Gomes S.I.F., Bodegom P.M. van, Merckx V.S.F.T., Soudzilovskaia N.A. 2019. Global distribution patterns of mycoheterotrophy. Global Ecology and Biogeography 28 (8) : 1133-1145. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/geb.12920
Petersen G., Darby H., Lam V.K.Y., Pedersen, H.Æ., Merckx V.S.F.T., Zervas A., Seberg O., Graham S.W. 2019. Mycoheterotrophic Epirixanthes (Polygalaceae) has a typical angiosperm mitogenome but unorthodox plastid genomes. Annals of Botany 124 (5) : 791-807. DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcz114
2018

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Njunjić I., Perrard A., Hendriks K., Schilthuizen M., Perreau M., Merckx V., Baylac M., Derharveng L. 2018. Comprehensive evolutionary analysis of the Anthroherpon radiation (Coleoptera, Leiodidae, Leptodirini). PLOS ONE 13 (6) : e0198367. DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198367
Lam V.K.Y. , Darby H., Merckx V.S.F.T., Lim G., Yukawa T., Neubig K.M., Abbott J.R., Beatty G.E., Provan J., Soto Gomez M., Graham S.W. 2018. Phylogenomic inference in extremis: A case study with mycoheterotroph plastomes. American Journal of Botany 105: 480-494. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1070
Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Hynson N.A. 2018. Biological invasions increase the richness of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi from a Hawaiian subtropical ecosystem. Biological Invasions 20 (9) : 2421–2437. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-018-1710-7
2017

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Graham S.W., Lam V.K.Y., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2017. Plastomes on the edge: the evolutionary breakdown of mycoheterotroph plastid genomes. New Phytologist 214: 8 p. 28-55. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.14398
Merckx V.S.F.T., Gomes, S.I.F., Wapstra M., Hunt C., Steenbeeke G., Mennes C.B., Walsh N., Smissen R., Hsieh T.-H., Smets E., Bidartondo M.I. 2017. The biogeographic history of the interaction between mycoheterotrophic Thismia (Thismiaceae) plants and mycorrhizal Rhizophagus (Glomeraceae) fungi. Journal of Biogeography 44: 1869-1879. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12994
Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V.S.F.T., Saavedra S. 2017. Fungal‐host diversity among mycoheterotrophic plants increases proportionally to their fungal‐host overlap. Ecology and Evolution 7 (10) : 8 p. 3623-3630. DOI https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2974
Sujanapal P., Robi A.J., Dantas K.J., Sumod M., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2017. Thismia (Thismiaceae): the first record of the mycoheterotrophic genus to the Flora of India with a new species revealing the phytogeographical significance of Western Ghats. Blumea: Journal of Plant Taxonomy and Plant Geography 62: 97-102. DOI https://doi.org/10.3767/blumea.2017.62.2.04
Selosse M.A., Brundrett M., Dearnaley J., Merckx V.S.F.T. Rasmussen F., Zettler L.W. Rasmussen H.N. 2017. Why Mycophoris is not an orchid seedling, and why Synaptomitus is not a fungal symbiont within this fossil. Botany 95: 865-868. DOI https://doi.org/10.1139/cjb-2017-0038
2016

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Lens F., Vos R., Charrier G., Niet T. van der, Merckx V., Baas P., Aguirre Gutierrez J., Jacobs B., Chacon Doria L., Smets E., Delzon S., Janssens S. 2016. Scalariform-to-simple transition in vessel perforation plates triggered by differences in climate during the evolution of Adoxaceae. Annals of Botany 118 (5) : 1043-1056. DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcw151
2015

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V.S.F.T., Hendriks K.P., Beentjes K.K., Mennes C.B., Becking L.E., Peijnenburg K.T.C.A., Afendy A., Arumugam N., de Boer H., Biun A., Buang M.M., Chen P.-P., Chung A.Y.C., Dow R., Feijen F.A.A., Feijen H., Feijen-van Soest C, Geml J., Geurts R., Gravendeel B., Hovenkamp P., Imbun P., Ipor I., Janssens S.B., Jocqué M. Kappes H., Khoo E., Koomen P., Lens F., Majapun R.J., Morgado L.N., Neupane S., Nieser N., Pereira J.T., Rahman H., Sabran S., Sawang A., Schwallier R.M., Shim P.-S., Smit H., Sol N., Spait M., Stech M., Stokvis F., Sugau J.B., Suleiman M., Sumail S., Thomas D.C., van Tol J., Tuh F.Y.Y., Yahya B.E., Nais J., Repin R., Lakim M. & Schilthuizen M. 2015. Evolution of endemism on a young tropical mountain. Nature 524 (7565) : 347-350. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nature14949
Mennes C.B., Lam V.K.Y., Rudall P.J., Lyon S.P., Graham S.W., Smets E.F., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2015. Ancient Gondwana break-up explains the distribution of the mycoheterotrophic family Corsiaceae (Liliales). Journal of Biogeography 42 (6) : 1123-1136. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.12486
Mennes C.B., Moerland M.S., Rath M., Smets E.F., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2015. Evolution of mycoheterotrophy in Polygalaceae. American Journal of Botany 102 (4) : 598-608. DOI https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1400549
Jacquemyn H., Waud M., Merckx V.S.F.T., Lievens B., Brys R. 2015. Mycorrhizal diversity, seed germination and long-term changes in population size across nine populations of the terrestrial orchid Neottia ovata. Molecular Ecology 24 (13) : 3269-3280. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.13236
2014

Journals non-SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V.S.F.T., Wapstra M. 2014. Further notes on the occurrence of Fairy Lanterns Thismia rodwayi F. Muell. (Thismiaceae) in Tasmania: vegetation associations. The Tasmanian Naturalist 135: 71-78.
Miller J.A., Schilthuizen M., Lilliendahl Burmester J., Graaf L. van der, Merckx V., Jocqué M., Kessler P.J.A., Fayle T.M., Breeschoten T., Broeren R., Bouman R., Chua W.-J., Feijen F., Fermont T., Groen K., Groen M., Kil N.J.C., Laat H.A. de, Moerland M.S., Moncoquet C., Panjang E., Philip A.J., Roca-Eriksen R., Rooduijn B., Santen M. van, Swakman V., Evans M.N., Evans L.J., Love K., Joscelyne S.H., Tober A.V., Wilson H.F., Ambu L.N., Goossens B. 2014. Dispatch from the field: ecology of ground-web-building spiders with description of a new species (Araneae, Symphytognathidae). Biodiversity Data Journal 2: 13 p. 1-13. Pensoft. DOI https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.2.e1076
http://biodiversitydatajournal.com/articles.php?id=1076
Hunt C.A, Steenbeeke G., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2014. Thismia megalongensis (Thismiaceae), a new species of Thismia from New South Wales. Telopea 16: 165-174. DOI https://doi.org/10.7751/telopea20147809

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Welzen P.C. van, Strijk J.S., Konijnenburg-van Cittert J.H.A. van, Nucete M., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2014. Dated phylogenies of the sister genera Macaranga and Mallotus (Euphorbiaceae): Congruence in historical biogeographic patterns? PLOS ONE 9 (1) : e85713. DOI https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085713
Carvalheiro L.G., Biesmeijer J.C., Benadi G., Fründ J., Stang M., Bartomeus I., C.N. Kaiser-Bunbury, Baude M., Gomes S.I.F., Merckx V., Baldock K.C.R., Bennett A.T.D., Boada R., Bommarco R., Cartar R., Chacoff N., Dänhardt J., Dicks L.V., Dormann C.F., Ekroos J., Henson K.S.E., Holzschuh A., Junker R.R., Lopezaraiza-Mikel M., Memmott J., Montero-Castaño A., Nelson I.L., Petanidou T., Power E.F., Rundlöf, Smith H.G., Stout J.C., Temitope K., Tscharntke T., Tscheulin T., Vilà M., Kunin W.E. 2014. The potential for indirect effects between co-flowering plants via shared pollinators depends on resource abundance, accessibility and relatedness. Ecology Letters 17 (11) : 1389-1399. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12342
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ele.12342/full
Jacquemyn H., Brys R., Merckx V.S.F.T., Waud M., Lievens B., Wiegand T. 2014. Co-existing orchid species have distinct mycorrhizal communities and display strong spatial segregation. New Phytologist 202 (2) : 616-627. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.12640
2013

Chapters in book

Merckx V.S.F.T. 2013. Mycoheterotrophy: An Introduction.: 1-17. Springer, New york.
Merckx V.S.F.T., Freudenstein J.V., Kissling J., Christenhusz M.J.M., Stotler R.E., Crandall-Stotler B., Wickett N., Rudall P.J., Maas-van de Kamer H., Maas P.J.M. 2013. Taxonomy and classification.: 356 p. 19-101. Springer, New York.
Merckx V.S.F.T., Smets E.F., Specht C.D. 2013. Biogeography and Conservation.: 356 p. 103-156. Springer, New York.

Books as editor

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V.S.F.T., Kissling J., Hentrich H., Janssens S.B., Mennes C.B., Specht C.D., Smets E.F. 2013. Phylogenetic relationships of the mycoheterotrophic genus Voyria and the implications for the biogeographic history of Gentianaceae. American Journal of Botany 100 (4) : 712-721. DOI https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.1200330
Hynson N.A., Merckx V.S.F.T., Perry B.A., Treseder K.K. 2013. Identities and distributions of the co-invading ectomycorrhizal fungal symbionts of exotic pines in the Hawaiian Islands. Biological Invasions 15 (11) : 2373-2385. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10530-013-0458-3
Mennes C.B., Smets E.F., Moses S.N., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2013. New insights in the long-debated evolutionary history of Triuridaceae (Pandanales). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69: 994-1004. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.05.031
2012

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V.S.F.T., Janssens S.B., Hynson N.A., Specht C.D., Bruns T.D., Smets E.F. 2012. Mycoheterotrophic interactions are not limited to a narrow phylogenetic range of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Molecular Ecology 21 (6) : 1524-1532. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2012.05472.x
2011

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Lemaire B., Huysmans S., Smets E., Merckx V. 2011. Rate accelerations in nuclear 18S rDNA of mycoheterotrophic and parasitic angiosperms. Journal of Plant Research 124 (5) : 561-576. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10265-010-0395-5
Bidartondo M.I., Read D.J., Trappe J.M., Merckx V., Ligrone R., Duckett J.G. 2011. The dawn of symbiosis between plants and fungi. Biology Letters 7 (4) : 574-577. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2010.1203
Jacquemyn H., Merckx V., Brys R., Tyteca D., Cammue B.P.A., Honnay O., Lievens B. 2011. Analysis of network architecture reveals phylogenetic constraints on mycorrhizal specificity in the genus Orchis (Orchidaceae). New Phytologist 192 (2) : 518-528. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03796.x
2010

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V., Stoeckel M., Fleischmann A., Bruns T.D., Gebauer G. 2010. (1)5N and C-13 natural abundance of two mycoheterotrophic and a putative partially mycoheterotrophic species associated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. New Phytologist 188 (2) : 590-596. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8137.2010.03365.x
Merckx V., Freudenstein J.V. 2010. Evolution of mycoheterotrophy in plants: a phylogenetic perspective. New Phytologist 185 (3) : 605-609.
2009

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Janssens S.B., Knox E.B., Huysmans S., Smets E.F., Merckx V.S.F.T. 2009. Rapid radiation of Impatiens (Balsaminaceae) during Pliocene and Pleistocene: Result of a global climate change. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 52 (3) : 806-824. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2009.04.013
2008

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Merckx V., Schols P., Geuten K., Huysmans S., Smets E. 2008. Phylogenetic relationships in Nartheciaceae (Dioscoreales), with focus on pollen and orbicule morphology. Belgian Journal of Botany 141 (1) : 64-77.
http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/449539
Merckx V., Bidartondo M.I. 2008. Breakdown and delayed cospeciation in the arbuscular mycorrhizal mutualism. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 275 (1638) : 1029-1035. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2007.1622
2006

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Bakker F.T., Breman F., Merckx V. 2006. DNA sequence evolution in fast evolving mitochondrial DNA nad1 exons in Geraniaceae and Plantaginaceae. Taxon 55 (4) : 887-896.
Merckx V., Schols P., Maas-van de Kamer H., Maas P., Huysmans S., Smets E. 2006. Phylogeny and evolution of Burmanniaceae (Dioscoreales) based on nuclear and mitochondrial data. American Journal of Botany 93 (11) : 1684-1698.
http://www.repository.naturalis.nl/record/407317
2005

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

2004

Journals SCI, peer-reviewed

Schols P., Es K., D'hondt C., Merckx V., Smets E., Huysmans S. 2004. A new enzyme-based method for the treatment of fragile pollen grains collected from herbarium material. Taxon 53 (3) : 777-782.