Plant-pollinator interactions and floral differentiation

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The rapid diversification of the flowering plants is one of the most remarkable patterns in nature. This group appears to be a classic example of an adaptive radiation, with an estimated 300 to 3600-fold difference in species number between the angiosperms and its sister lineage. My research interests lie in exploring the ecological and evolutionary processes that have shaped diversity in the flowering plants. Through past research I have contributed to our understanding of the role natural selection has played in trait diversification in this group, in addition to studying the role specific traits, such as floral shape, have played in generating disparity in species richness among angiosperm lineages. In the next stage of my research I will expand existing theory on the role of animal pollinators in angiosperm diversification from a focus on local scale processes to a broader perspective that includes regional and community level processes. I will also draw on my experience using phylogenetic comparative methods to disentangle the role that herbivores and animal pollinators have played in the diversification of the angiosperms. Furthermore, I will initiate experimental systems to explore how a plant's adaptive response to other species in the community and/ or habitat heterogeneity influences the evolution of plant-pollinator specialization. In summary, the goal of my research is to understand past and present processes that promote diversification in floral traits, species coexistence, and ultimately, differences in species richness. I approach these questions using innovative tools such as phylogenetics and mathematical models, as well as more traditional methods such as field experiments in order to better understand the processes that have shaped flowering plant diversity.