Project at a glance

Plant systematics and evolution

We apply and develop phylogenetic and genomic approaches to study the systematics and evolutionary history of plants. In particular, we contribute to reconstruct the plant tree of life and use this information to improve taxonomical classification, infer the tempo and mode of evolutionary radiations, and identify the genetic and ecological drivers of phenotypic changes (e.g. for traits important in plant-pollinator interactions, like flower color).

Our projects mainly focus on tropical plant lineages (Gesneriaceae and palms), but we also evaluate the genetic diversity contained in the local flora using modern and historical herbarium specimens as a genetic resource (museomics).