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Abstract Detail



Phylogenetic Comparative Methods and Approaches in Plant Science

Schenk, John [1].

Phylogenetic Comparative Methods and Approaches in Plant Science.

Phylogenetic comparative methods offer a new frontier of novel approaches leading to discoveries that were unattainable just a short time ago.  Phylogenetic comparative methods are a set of statistically based approaches that incorporate phylogenetic information in a comparative framework in order to test hypotheses of adaptation, function, mode, or tempo of evolution.  These methods can be used to answer many questions across disciplines, including physiology, anatomy and morphology, paleobotany, evolution, and ecology.  Botanical researchers have driven many of the conceptual, methodological, and empirical advances in comparative approaches, yet this research is often presented at other, more broadly scoped meetings.  Consequently, members of the botanical community are not frequently exposed to this field, and are less likely to take advantage of these rapidly growing but methodologically more complex and less familiar approaches.  The proposed joint symposium and colloquium is intended to (1) present the most current methods and questions that can be addressed with such approaches, and (2) provide a comprehensive background of phylogenetic comparative methods to educate and inspire students and other community members.
Comparative methods can be conceptually difficult to comprehend for students and other researchers new to the methods, which can impede studies that could otherwise answer more sophisticated questions regarding the origin of evolutionary and ecological variation.  The main goal of the symposium is to provide a theoretical, conceptual, and methodological background to stimulate intellectual curiosity and to encourage application of these methods to plants, which can help address long-standing evolutionary problems to better understand plant diversity.  To achieve these goals, each presenter will be asked to discuss his or her methodological approaches in slightly more detail than in a typical scientific talk.  Thus, the presenters will be using their research as a platform to teach methodologies while conveying their current approaches and results.
The half-day symposium will begin with a 15-minute introduction to the field of phylogenetic comparative methods, followed by three 30-minute talks, a coffee break, three 30-minute talks, and the symposium will conclude with a panel discussion for 15 minutes.  The symposium will be associated with a joint colloquium (Empirical Approaches to Phylogenetic Comparative Methods in Plant Science) that focuses on empirical approaches that use phylogenetic comparative methods.


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Related Links:
Joint Symposium and Colloquium Web Page


1 - Tulane University, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 400 Lindy Boggs, New Orleans, LA, 70118-5698, USA

Keywords:
Character evolution
comparative analyses
diversification
ecological diversification
macroevolution
phylogenetics.

Presentation Type: Symposium or Colloquium Presentation
Session: SY01
Location: Evergreen/Grove
Date: Monday, July 28th, 2014
Time: 8:00 AM
Number: SY01SUM
Abstract ID:26
Candidate for Awards:None


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