Biogeographic, molecular evolution, and diversification patterns in Neotropical plants

Stephen Andrew Smith, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI, United States and Christopher W Dick, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
Abstract:
Neotropical plants demonstrate a phenomenal range of ecological and morphological diversity. We will explore the phylogenetic and biogeographic patterns of a group of Neotropical plants and how these patterns relate to the geological history of the area. This includes the timing and location of biological exchange between areas. Neotropical plants also demonstrate repeated examples of rapid speciation and diversification. We will examine these evolutionary patterns and how they relate to molecular evolution.
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