Patterns of diversification and trait evolution in Australasian orchids
Role
Supervisor
Description
This project aims to investigate the evolutionary processes driving orchid species diversification in Australasia. For my first study group, the genus Bulbophyllum, I aim to explore the evolution of photosynthetic pathways and genome size in the genus Bulbophyllum across its distribution and interpret the findings in the context of the temporal evolution of lineages and the corresponding climatic shifts in Australia over geological time. My research builds on extensive published and unpublished phylogenetic and phylogenomic datasets for the genus Bulbophyllum comprising over 500 samples. I aim to generate a robust phylogenetic framework of Bulbophyllum, which will serve as a backbone for ancestral trait reconstruction of photosynthetic pathways and genome size evolution within the genus.
Date
01 Jun 2024 - 31 Dec 2026
Project Type
GRANT
Keywords
Australasia;Bulbophyllum;Historical biogeography;Phylogeny
Funding Body
Australian Orchid Foundation
Amount
18520
Project Team
Consolata Nanjala;Lalita Simpson;Darren Crayn;Joseph Holtum