Life Sciences Commons^™

Taxonomic And Phylogenetic Diversity Of Pitcher Plant Bogs In Georgia's Coastal Plain, Melanie Flood

Theses and Dissertations

Diversity studies via floristic survey and taxonomic metrics have proven essential for discerning community composition and biodiversity, however, phylogenetic analyses are necessary to reveal underlying evolutionary change and potential community assembly patterns. Pitcher plant bogs are highly diverse, highly understudied habitats that contain numerous listed and at-risk plant and animal species of Georgia.

In this study I investigated the taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of pitcher plant bogs by asking the following questions:

1) What is the taxonomic diversity of pitcher plant bogs,

2) What is the dispersion of phylogenetic diversity within bog habitats, and

3) Does taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity …

Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Patterns Of Diversification Of Geckosacross The Sunda Shelf With An Emphasis On The Genuscnemaspis (Strauch, 1887), Perry Lee Wood

Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation I investigate two genera of geckos (Cyrtodactylus and Cnemaspis) that are distributed across Southeast Asia with an emphasis on Cnemaspis. In Chapter 1 I use a multilocus dataset, ancestral area analyses, and molecular clock dating to generate a species level time calibrated phylogeny to test the monophyly of Cyrtodactylus and to identify major biogeographical patterns. I identified that Cyrtodactylus is monophyletic only if the the Sri Lankan genus often recognized as Geckoella is included. The results of the Biogeographical analyses reveal a west to east pattern of diversification. Chapter 2 I use a traditional morphological dataset to …

Phylogenetics, Biogeography, And Patterns Of Diversification Of Geckosacross The Sunda Shelf With An Emphasis On The Genuscnemaspis (Strauch, 1887), Perry Lee Wood

Theses and Dissertations

In my dissertation I investigate two genera of geckos (Cyrtodactylus and Cnemaspis) that are distributed across Southeast Asia with an emphasis on Cnemaspis. In Chapter 1 I use a multilocus dataset, ancestral area analyses, and molecular clock dating to generate a species level time calibrated phylogeny to test the monophyly of Cyrtodactylus and to identify major biogeographical patterns. I identified that Cyrtodactylus is monophyletic only if the the Sri Lankan genus often recognized as Geckoella is included. The results of the Biogeographical analyses reveal a west to east pattern of diversification. Chapter 2 I use a traditional morphological dataset to …

Biogeography And Evolution Of Neotropical Small Mammals, With Emphasis On Hystricognath Spiny Rats Of The Genus Proechimys (Family Echimyidae), Rafael Do Nascimento Leite

Theses and Dissertations

The Neotropical region is the most biologically diverse region on the planet. The region encompasses a variety of ecosystems and has long been the target of researchers interested in patterns of species diversity and distribution. More recently, molecular data have been incorporated into methods for reconstructing the historical relationships among geographical areas and their biotas. Molecular phylogenetics has provided insights into diversification patterns and the influence of Late Cenozoic events on the evolutionary history of the region. Nevertheless, considering the vast extent and complexity of the region, more studies are needed to fully appreciate the patterns of biogeography and the …

Infrageneric Relationships Within Collomia (Polemoniaceae), Eric Stewart Green

Theses and Dissertations

Traditional evolutionary models depict evolution as a bifurcating pattern with a single ancestor diverging to form two lineages. However, reticulate species resulting from hybridization and recombination have unique histories shared with two independent lineages, not one. Accounting for the genetic histories of reticulate species increases the power and ability to recover biologically meaningful relationships. The genus Collomia (Polemoniaceae) is used to explore issues of reticulation and the importance of accounting for gene histories in a phylogenetic analysis. The issue of reticulation within species trees is discussed with a multilabeled, network approach being explored to better represent the genus's evolutionary history. …

Taxonomy And Applied Biogeography Of Mongolian Stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera), Sarah Walker Judson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the early 1900s, efforts have been made to catalogue the stoneflies of Mongolia. Taxonomic work from 1960 to 1980 greatly expanded basic lists of stoneflies in Mongolia, but no comprehensive survey or synthesis of this dispersed literature has been completed. In conjunction with a modern survey of the aquatic insects of Mongolia, we collected Plecoptera on a series of expeditions to the Selenge (north) and Altai (west) regions of Mongolia. A total of 48 species distributed in 24 genera and 8 families were documented, including 3 of the 5 Mongolian endemics, 2 new species records for Mongolia, and 1 …

Systematics And Biogeography Of The Didymopanax Group Of Schefflera (Araliaceae), Pedro Fiaschi

Theses and Dissertations

Schefflera is the largest genus in the angiosperm family Araliaceae, with about 900 species, of which c. 300 belong to five subgeneric groups in the Neotropical region. Previous phylogenetic studies of Schefflera have been limited to a small number of species from this region, and very little is know about phylogenetic relationships in the Brazilian-centered Didymopanax group of this genus. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the diversity and evolution of the Didymopanax group of Schefflera, I investigated the systematics of these plants in the broader context of the entire Neotropical clade. The main goals were (1) to investigate …