Cytogenetics — Macroevolution — Macroecology
Cytogenetics — Macroevolution — Macroecology
Why some plant groups evolve faster while others remain relatively species-poor is a key question in biology. My research focuses on exploring the genomic basis of evolution, with particular interest in how genome size (amount of DNA in the nucleus of a cell) and polyploidy (number of chromosome sets in a cell) drives the emergence of new traits, trait space and species, facilitating adaptation and distribution of plants giving rise to the fascinating diversity of plants.
Although scientists have extensively worked on genome size and polyploidy, their influence on plant evolution at a global scale through evolutionary time remains under-explored. My research aims to bridge the knowledge gap between microevolution, focusing on causal relationships, and macroevolution, centered on correlations by addressing how genome size and polyploidy impact plant traits, diversification and distribution at a macroevolutionary and macroecological scale.
My hypothesis is that these genomic factors profoundly influence evolution of plant traits and trait syndromes, which in turn affect the conditions in which plants can grow and diversify, and in which they cannot, affecting the adaptive potential of the species vulnerable to climate change. This will support more efficient conservation strategies.
My research group focuses on:
Examining how genome size and polyploidy shapes trait evolution resulting in the diversity of angiosperms across phylogenetic hierarchies.
Investigating how the impact of genome size and polyploidy on trait evolution interacts with speciation dynamics shaping geographic range size in angiosperms.
Understanding the evolutionary history that shaped the present-day floral diversity in the Indian subcontinent.