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Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Evolution

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

2017

Phylogenetics

Articles 1 - 3 of 3

Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Stable Isotopes, Phylogenetics, And Experimental Data Indicate A Unique Nutritional Mode For Rickenella Fibula, A Bryophyte-Associate In The Hymenochaetales, Hailee Brynn Korotkin Aug 2017

Stable Isotopes, Phylogenetics, And Experimental Data Indicate A Unique Nutritional Mode For Rickenella Fibula, A Bryophyte-Associate In The Hymenochaetales, Hailee Brynn Korotkin

Masters Theses

Fungal-bryophyte interactions have been documented in all lineages of bryophytes, however, many of these relationships are poorly understood. The fungus Rickenella fibula is a known associate of various mosses, but results from previous studies have not yielded conclusive evidence of its relationship to mosses or its trophic mode. The Rickenella clade exhibits a wide variety of nutritional modes, including other bryophyte-associated fungi. Here, I combine a broad range of methods, using phylogenetics, stable isotope analyses, PCR assays, in vitro experiments, and genomics to determine the nutritional mode of R. fibula. First, phylogenetic analysis of a supermatrix of 28S rRNA, …


Systematics, Diversification, And Functional Diversity Of Russulaceae (Russulales), Brian Patrick Looney May 2017

Systematics, Diversification, And Functional Diversity Of Russulaceae (Russulales), Brian Patrick Looney

Doctoral Dissertations

The family Russulaceae is an iconic family of mushroom-forming Basidiomycetes both because of their importance as edible mushrooms in many parts of the world and their species richness in both temperate and tropical forested biomes. While much mycological research has been focused on this group, recent systematic and ecological research has failed to develop a comprehensive or cohesive organization by which to understand the evolutionary relationships, patterns of diversification, or functional importance of the group. Recently, interest in ectomycorrhizal fungi (EmF), of which Russulaceae is a key lineage, has greatly increased due to the recognition of the importance of EmF …


Using Phylogenetic Comparative Methods To Understand Diversification And Geographic Range Evolution, Kathryn Aurora Massana May 2017

Using Phylogenetic Comparative Methods To Understand Diversification And Geographic Range Evolution, Kathryn Aurora Massana

Doctoral Dissertations

Two key processes that have been modeled in a phylogenetic comparative framework are diversification and historical biogeography. Many questions arise on what process have shaped the abundance (or lack) of species we see today and what influences their survival and interconnectedness with other species. Many methods have been developed to answer these questions. Over the past several decades there has been a rise in parametric modeling and development of more adequate frameworks to answer biological questions of interest. However, many models still lack the incorporation of ecological, mainly biotic factors, which influence the evolution and ecology of species, while accounting …