We deploy a diversity of approaches to contribute to our understanding of plant evolution, (and evolution in general). Here are the main approaches being utilized. If you want to know more, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Systematics/Phylogenetics

The lab has used molecular phylogenetics to address a diversity of problems: morphological evolution, the evolution of plant-pollinator interactions, biogeography, rates of evolution, key innovations, hybridization, ring species, and species limits. David Baum has broad experience in systematic theory and enjoys working with students to apply phylogenetic approaches to novel biological problems. We also enjoy experimenting with cutting edge lab methods, such as SSCP gene copy isolatio and next-gen sequencing.

Conceptual issues and philosophy of biology

Understanding evolutionary phenomena can be aided by thinking clearly about terms and the concepts they are intended to capture. These issues are frequently discussed and of great issues to the lab group. Some examples of concepts that we have worked on include "adaptation," "species," "monophyly," and "homology."

Theory and statistical methods

We have ongoing collaborations with statisticians to develop new methods related to low- level phylogenetics. The aim is to use multilocus sequence data to estimate the distribution of gene genealogies that coexist within a set of genomes. We can then extract insights into the evolutionary forces (incomplete lineage sorting, introgression, etc.) that have shaped that distribution. One prominent product of this collaboration is the program BUCKy, which conducts Bayesian concordance analysis.

Candidate gene Evolutionary Developmental Genetics (Evo-Devo)

A long-standing interest in the lab is trying to identify genes underlying species differences. We have used developmental genetic knowledge from model species to guide studies of several different traits in different plant groups. In many cases, projects started in my lab are still being pursued by former students or post-docs in their own independent labs. Examples of phenotypes studied are: inflorescence architecture, trichome shape, flower color, petal spot position, dioecy, and stamen number. The approaches used have included electron micrography, in situ hybridization, immunolocalization, qPCR, analyses of molecular evolution, and plant transformation.