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 plant 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.
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 the following interconnected directions:
Examining how genome size and polyploidy shapes trait evolution and diversification across Rosids, one of the largest angiosperm clades.
Establishing a framework to investigate genome size and trait evolution interactions on speciation dynamics shape geographic range size and test them across different taxonomic hierarchies.
Understanding the evolutionary history shaped the present-day floral diversity in the Indian subcontinent.
If you are interested in my research, want to join my group or collaborate, please send me an email.