We delve into the evolutionary history of different groups of Neotropical plants.
That said... AQUATIC PLANTS ROCK and they are central to our work
That said... AQUATIC PLANTS ROCK and they are central to our work
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Novel perspectives on the impact of landscape change on Neotropical plant evolution The dynamic geological history in the Neotropics has played a key role in shaping the evolution of the world's richest flora. Decades of botanical research has tremendously advanced our understanding of plant evolution on our constantly changing planet. However, the impacts of landscape change on riverine plants had remained largely unaddressed. Our research group aims to provide a novel perspective on how topographic change shaped the evolutionary trajectory of plants in rivers. In the past, we incorporated genomic datasets (genome-skimming, target enrichment, and ddRADseq) and phylogenomic, phylogenetic networks, population structure and divergence dating analyses to study the genus Marathrum (Podostemaceae). We showed that plant populations in rivers across the Andes are genetically structured and split with rapid pulses of mountain building. We formulated a hypothesis for the pattern and timing of drainage basins across the Andes. This work was published in the New Phytologist and was highlighted by the media. |
Marathrum is the only plant group restricted to rivers and distributed across the Andes in northern South America. Left: Marathrum foeniculaceum (highly dissected leaves). Right: Marathrum utile (entire leaves). I found evidence suggesting that when these two species co-exist, they hybridize. Hybrids show the phenotype of M. foeniculaceum.
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Botany and Geogenomics
Past studies in plant evolution have shed light on how the geological history of our planet shaped plant evolution by establishing well-known patterns (e.g., how mountain uplift resulted in high rates of diversification and replicate radiations in montane plant taxa). Under this approach, information is transferred from geology to botany, by interpreting data in light of geological processes. In our research group we aim to expand this paradigm to specifically transfer information from botany to geology. This conceptual shift follows the goals of the emerging field of geogenomics and emphasizes that plant systematics can go beyond investigating patterns in light of landscape change, to reduce the inherent uncertainty in models of paleotopography, river system structure, and land connections through time. In the past, we have integrated phylogenomics, population genetics, and phylogenetic network analyses to reconstruct the timing and pattern of drainage basin formation across the Andes in northern South America. In a recent publication from our group, Ana discussed current challenges that are specific to analytical approaches for plant geogenomics. She described the scale at which various geological questions can be addressed from biological data, and what makes some groups of plants excellent model systems for geogenomics research. |
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Comparative diversification of Neotropical plants in aquatic habitats We are interested in determining the generalities and idiosyncrasies of the role of landscape change on the evolution on the Neotropical aquatic flora (plants in rivers and wetlands). We have an ongoing project investigating when populations and species of Ludwigia (Onagraceae) distributed across the Andes in northern South America diverged from one another. Future work in this research area include investigating phylogeographic patterns and the contributions to diversification of biotic characteristics using state-dependent speciation and extinction models across multiple focal groups of plants in wetlands and rivers. |
Ludwigia sedoides from the Orinoco basin of Colombia. Photo: Mateo Fernández.
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Documenting plant diversity and conservation of plants in rivers
Traveling to remote areas, collecting and identifying plants, learning from locals, and getting my feet wet is the basis for the formulation of our research projects. Our research group is committed to expanding representations of aquatic plants in herbaria. We produced a book with 291 species of aquatic plants from the Orinoco basin of Colombia. Aquatic plants in Colombia are understudied, but their ecological importance in aquatic ecosystems is invaluable. Multiple collections are new records for the region and even the country, and all are publicly available.The book is dedicated to the inhabitants of the Orinoco basin of my beautiful home country. Ana's collections of Marathrum account for more than half go the historical records of the genus since is was first collected in Colombia in 1801. See related published work here and here. Our research has shown that the future of rivers and of riverweeds is linked. We are developing research in riverweeds as a powerful too for conservation of Neotropical rivers. |
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Plastid genomes of riverweeds (Podostemaceae)
Together with the Hydrostachyaceae, the Podostemaceae are the only plant family that live attached to rocks in fast-flowing aquatic ecosystems. In a past study, we assembled full plastomes for 5 species of riverweeds using genome-skimming data to determine the structure, gene content, and rearrangements in the plastid genomes of the family. The Podostemaceae have one of the smallest plastid genomes reported so far for the Malpighiales, possibly due to variation in length of inverted repeat (IR) regions, gene loss, and intergenic region variation. The uncommon loss or pseudogenization of ycf1 and ycf2 in angiosperms and in land plants in general is also found to be characteristic of Podostemaceae. |
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Comparative plant anatomy
We are passionate about plant anatomy in a comparative framework. Specifically, we are interested in how distantly related groups evolved to live in the same environments and how the mechanisms used to adapt to special conditions differ or are similar among closely related groups. Aquatic plants are a great model system to tackle these questions as the aquatic habit evolved multiple times across angiosperms. |
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The Andes constitute a complex matrix of high-elevation tropical ecosystems interrupted by inter-Andean valleys.
Biotic and abiotic drivers of Andean plant diversification
As part of a large collaborative network, we are investigating the complexity of species diversification processes in the tropical Andes, the World’s most species-rich biodiversity hotspot. We are conducting fieldwork, developing, and implementing novel state-dependent diversification models to jointly infer the roles of long-distance dispersal, movement along elevational gradients, and trait evolution in lineage diversification. We are conducting comparative studies across multiple clades that share Andean occurrence, but differ in environmental preferences, morphology, and ecological interactions.
As part of a large collaborative network, we are investigating the complexity of species diversification processes in the tropical Andes, the World’s most species-rich biodiversity hotspot. We are conducting fieldwork, developing, and implementing novel state-dependent diversification models to jointly infer the roles of long-distance dispersal, movement along elevational gradients, and trait evolution in lineage diversification. We are conducting comparative studies across multiple clades that share Andean occurrence, but differ in environmental preferences, morphology, and ecological interactions.
