Postdoctoral Fellows

Post-doctoral researcher
Ph.D. University of Missouri, Columbia, 2010
phone: 864-5690
kbecklin@ku.edu

Faculty Sponsor:
Joy Ward

Research Interests: Interactions between plants and other organisms, the effects of plant-fungus interactions on plant physiology and evolution, and the impact of global change on plant-fungus interactions.

Recent Publications:

• Becklin, K. M., G. Gamez, B. Uelk, R. A. Raguso, and C. Galen. 2011. Soil fungal effects on floral signals, rewards, and aboveground interactions in an alpine pollination web. American Journal of Botany 98: 1299-1308.

• Becklin, KM and Galen, C. 2009. Intra- and interspecific variation in mycorrhizal associations across a heterogeneous habitat gradient in alpine plant communities. Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 41:183-190.

• Becklin, KM. 2008. An evolutionary arms race: understanding plant-herbivore interactions. American Biology Teacher 70:288-292.

• Becklin, KM and Kirkpatrick, HE. 2006. Compensation through rosette formation: Scarlet gilia’s (Ipomopsis aggregata) response to mammalian herbivory. Canadian Journal of Botany 84:1298-1303.

Bloom, Devin D. Post-doctoral researcher Ph.D. University of Toronto, 2012 phone: 785-864- devindbloom@ku.edu Faculty Sponsor: Andrew Short Research Interest: Phylogenetics, macroevolution, biogeography, ecology and conservation of freshwater and marine fishes

Recent Publications:

• Bloom, D.D. andN. R. Lovejoy, In Revision. Do freshwater fishes diversify faster than marine fishes? A test using state-dependent diversification analyses and molecular phylogenetics of New World Silversides (Atherinopsidae). Evolution.
  
  
• Waldman, J., Devires, D., and Bloom, D.D. In Review. Clupeidae. In: Burr, B.M. and Warren, M.L. (eds). North American freshwater fishes: ecology evolution, and behavior. John Hopkins University Press.
  
  
• Bloom, D.D. and N.R. Lovejoy. 2012. Molecular phylogenetics of anchovies (Engraulidae) reveals a single origin of freshwater Amazonian lineages. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 25(4): 701-715.
  
  
• Bloom, D.D., P. Unmack, A.E. Gosztonyi, K.R. Piller, N.R. Lovejoy. 2012. It's a family matter: molecular phylogenetics of Atheriniformes and the polyphyly of surf silversides (Family: Notocheiridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62: 1025-1030.
  
  
• Bloom, D.D. and N.R. Lovejoy. 2011. The biogeography of marine incursions in South America. In: Albert, J. and R. Reis (eds.). The biogeography of marine incursions in South America. University of California Press.
  
  
  Recent Presentations:

• Bloom, D.D., K.R. Piller, and N.R. Lovejoy. 2012. Do freshwater fisehs diversify faster than marine fishes? A test using state-dependent diversification analyses and molecular phylogenetics of New World Silversides (Atherinopsidae). Evolution meeting. Ottawa, ON, Canada.

• Bloom, D.D. 2011. Does habitat control lineage diversification rates? A test using molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Silversides (Atherinopsidae). Joint meeting of Ichtyologists and Herpetologists. Minneapolis, MN.
  
  
• Bloom, D.D., and K.R. Piller. 2011. Does habitat control lineage diversification rates? A test using molecular phylogeny and biogeography of Silversides (Atherinopsidae). Evolution meeting. Norman, OK.

Research Interests: Evolutionary genetics; Speciation, Plant mating system evolution

Recent Publications:

• Koelling, V. A., P. J. Monnahan, and J. K. Kelly. 2012. A Bayesian method for the joint estimation of outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression. Heredity, advance online publication, doi:10.1038/hdy.2012.58

• Conner, J. K., K. Karoly, C. Stewart, V. A. Koelling, H. Sahli, F. H. Shaw. 2011. Rapid independent trait evolution despite a strong pleiotropic genetic correlation. The American Naturalist 178: 429-441. doi: 10.1086/66190

• Koelling, V. A., J. L. Hamrick, and R. Mauricio. 2011. Genetic diversity and structure in two species of Leavenworthia with self-incompatible and self-compatible populations. Heredity 106: 310-318. doi:10.1038/hdy.2010.59

• Koelling, V. A., and R. Mauricio. 2010. Genetic factors associated with mating system cause a partial reproductive barrier between two parapatric species of Leavenworthia (Brassicaceae). American Journal of Botany 97: 412-422. doi:10.3732/ajb.0900184

Recent Presentations:

• Koelling, V. A., P. J. Monnahan, and J. K. Kelly. 2012. A Bayesian method for the joint estimation of outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression. Ecological Genomics Symposium. Kansas City, MO.

• Koelling, V. A., P. J. Monnahan, and J. K. Kelly. 2012. A Bayesian method for the joint estimation of outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression. Institutional Research and Academic Career Development Award conference. Philadelphia, PA.

• Koelling, V. A. 2012. Ecological and genetic factors in the speciation and mating system evolution of plants. Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS.

• Koelling, V. A., P. J. Monnahan, and J. K. Kelly. 2011. Estimating outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression from marker data when family sizes are small. Oral presentation, Botany 2011 (St. Louis, MO)
• Koelling, V. A., and J. K. Kelly. 2010. Estimating outcrossing rate and inbreeding depression from marker data when family sizes are small. Oral presentation, Evolution 2010 (Portland, OR)

• Koelling, V. A. and R. Mauricio. 2009. Reproductive barriers in Leavenworthia. Oral presentation, Evolution 2009 (Moscow, ID)
  
  
  
  

McTavish, Emily Jane Post-doctoral researcher Ph.D. 2013, University of Texas, Austin phone: 785-864-5789 mctavish@ku.edu Faculty Sponsor: Mark Holder Research Interest: Phylogenetics, computational biology, genomics, cattle

Recent Publications:

• McTavish, E.J., Decker, J.E., Schnabel, R.D., Taylor, J.F., David M. Hillis, D.M. 2013. New World cattle show ancestry from multiple independent domestication events. PNAS. 110:E1398-E1406
  
  

• Stoltzfus, A., Lapp, H., Matasci, N., Deus, H., Sidlauskas, B., Zmasek, C.M., Vaidya, G., Pontelli E., Cranston K., Rutger Vos, Campbell O Webb, Luke J Harmon, Megan Pirrung, Brian O'Meara, Pennell, M.W. Mirarab S., Rosenberg, M.S., Balhoff, J.P., Bik, H.M., Heath, T., Midford, P., Brown J.W., McTavish E.J., Sukumaran J., Westneat M., Alfaro M.E. and Steele A. 2013 Phylotastic! Making Tree-of-Life Knowledge Accessible, Re-usable and Convenient. BMC Bioinformatics. 14:1–1.

• McTavish, E.J.*, G.K. Smith*, R.F. Guerrero, and E. J. Gering, 2012. Flight morphology variation in a damselfly with female limited polymorphism. Evolutionary Ecology Research. 14: 325–341

Recent Presentations:

• McTavish, E. J. 2013. Genomic structure of introgression in New World cattle – Quantitative genetics and genomics, Gordon Research Conference, Galveston, TX, February.

• McTavish, E. J., 2012. Inferring ancestry of genomic regions in cattle of hybrid origin” – Evolution meetings, Ottawa, ON, Canada, July.

• McTavish, E. J., 2011. Tracking introgression between cattle subspecies using genomic SNP data/ Evolution meetings, Norman, OK., July.

 

 

Money, Daniel

 

Andrew Schwendemann

Post-doc Researcher
Ph.D. , University of Kansas, Lawrence
Email: aschwend@ku.edu

Faculty Sponsor: Thomas Taylor

Research Interests: Paleobotany and paleoclimatology

Recent Publications:

• Schwendemann, A.B., A.-L. Decombeix, E.L. Taylor, T.N. Taylor and M. Krings. 2011. Morphological and functional stasis in mycorrhizal root nodules as exhibited by a Triassic conifer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A. 108: 13630–13634.
• Schwendemann, A.B., T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, and M. Krings. 2010. Organization, anatomy, and fungal endophytes of a Triassic conifer embryo. American Journal of Botany 97: 1873-1883.
• Taylor, T.N., E.L. Taylor, A.-L. Decombeix, A.B. Schwendemann, R. Serbet, I. Escapa, and M. Krings. 2010. The engimatic Devonian fossil, Prototaxites, is not a rolled-up liverwort mat-Comment on the paper by Graham et al., 2010 (AJB 97: 268-275). American Journal of Botany 97: 1074-1078.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Decombeix, A.-L., Taylor, E. L., Taylor, T. N. 2010. Collinsonites schopfii gen. et sp. nov., a herbaceous lycopsid from the Upper Permian of Antarctica. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 158: 291-297.
• Schwendemann, A.B., T.N. Taylor, E.L. Taylor, M. Krings, and J.M. Osborn. 2010. Modern traits in early Mesozoic sphenophytes: the Equisetum-like cones of Spaciinodum collinsonii with in situ spores and elaters from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica. In: Plants in Mesozoic Time: Morphological Innovations, Phylogeny, Ecosystems, 15-33 (C. Gee, ed.). Indiana University Press.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. L., Krings, and Dotzler, N. 2009. Combresomyces cornifer from the Triassic of Antarctica: evolutionary stasis in the Peronosporomycetes. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 154: 1-5.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Taylor, T. N., and Taylor, E. L. 2009. Pollen of the Triassic cycad Delemaya spinulosa and implications on cycad evolution. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 156: 98-103.
• Schwendemann, A. B. 2009. Book review: Pollen and Spores: Applications with special emphasis on aerobiology and allergy. By S. N. Agashe and E. Caulton. Quarterly Review of Biology 84: 309-310.

• Schwendemann, A. B., Wang, G., Mertz, M. L., McWilliams, R. T., Thatcher, S. L., and Osborn, J. M. 2007. Aerodynamics of saccate pollen and its implications for wind pollination. American Journal of Botany 94: 1371-1381.

Recent Presentations:

• Schwendemann, A. B., T. N. Taylor, E. T. Taylor. 2011.Investigating leaf hydraulics in plant fossils from the Permian of Antarctica. Botanical Society of America, St. Louis, Missouri July.
• Schwendemann, A.B. 2010.Permian photosynthetic pathways: form, function, and stable carbon isotopes of Antarctic. Botanical Society of America, Providence, Rhode Island. July-Aug.
• A.-L. Decombeix, I. Escapa, A. B. Schwendemann, R. Serbet, E.L. Taylor, and T.N. Taylor. 2010. Diversity and ecology of Permian floras from Antarctica. 8th European Palaeobotany-Palynology Conference, Budapest, Hungary. July.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. L. 2009. Parasitism of a Triassic conifer embryo and pteridosperm seed. Botany and Mycology 2009: A Joint Meeting of the Botanical Society of America and Mycological Society of America. Snowbird, Utah, July.
• Cohen, J., Schwendemann, A. B., Soltis, P. S. Job Panel Discussion. Botany and Mycology 2009: A Joint Meeting of the Botanical Society of America and Mycological Society of America. Snowbird, Utah, July.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. L., Krings, M. 2008. Triassic symbionts: morphological and functional stasis in the Podocarpaceae. International Organisation of Palaeobotany Conference. Bonn, Germany, August-September. Invited Oral Contribution.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. L. 2008. Fossil Root Nodules Containing Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi from the Triassic of Antarctica. Botany 2008: Botany without Borders, A Joint Meeting of: Canadian Botanical Association/L’Association Botanique du Canada, American Fern Society, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and the Botanical Society of America. Vancouver, BC, Canada. July.    
• Taylor, M. L. and Schwendemann, A. B. Navigating a Scientific Meeting. 2008. Botany 2008: Botany without Borders, A Joint Annual Meeting of: Canadian Botanical Association/L’Association Botanique du Canada, American Fern Society, American Society of Plant Taxonomists, and the Botanical Society of America. Vancouver, BC, Canada), July. Contributed discussion session.
• Russell, S. D., J. Jernstedt, E. Schneider, A. B. Schwendemann, J.M. Dahl, P.S. Soltis, C.H. Haufler, K.J. Niklas, W. Dahl. 2008. Updating the BSA’s bylaws to meet an ever-evolving business environment. Meeting of the Botanical Society of America, Vancouver, BC, Canada. July. Discussion session.
• Schwendemann, A. B. 2007. Aerodynamics of saccate pollen and its implications for wind pollination. Regional Meeting of the Geological Society of America, Lawrence, Kansas, Apriil.
• Mertz, M. L., A. B. Schwendemann, G. Wang, S. L. Thatcher, J. M. Osborn. 2007. Computational modeling of flight characteristics for extant and fossil saccate pollen grains. Meeting of the Botanical Society of America, Chico, California. Poster.
• Schwendemann, A. B., Taylor, T. N., Serbet, R., Taylor, E. L. 2007. Gondwanan Ferns from the Triassic of Antarctica. 2007. Botanical Society of America. Chicago, IL.

• Schwendemann, A. B., Serbet, R., Hermsen, E., Taylor, T. N., Taylor, E. L. 2007. Permineralized Plants from the Jurassic of Antarctica. 2007. Botanical Society of America. Chicago, IL.

Recent Awards:

• 2012. EEB Summer Research Fellowship, University of Kansas. $2,000.
• 2012. Eugenie Polson Dissertation Scholarship, Univesity of Kansas. $10,000.
• 2010. Graduate Student Research Fund, University of Kansas. $1565.
• 2010. Botany Summer Research Fellowship.  KU Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. $550.
• 2009. J. S. Karling Graduate Student Research Award, Botanical Society of America, $500.
• 2009. Summer Research Fellowship, KU Office of Research and Graduate Studies, $5000.
• 2008. Plant Biology Program, KU. Travel expenses, $1500.
• 2008. Paleobotanical Section of the Botanical Society of America, Travel Award, $500.
• 2008. International Organisation of Palaeobotany, Travel Award, $500.
• 2007. Plant Biology Program, KU. Travel expenses, $718
  
  

 

Wessinger, Carolyn

Post-doctoral researcher Ph.D. Duke University, Durham, 2013 phone: 864- @ku.edu Faculty Sponsor: Lena Hileman Research Interests: My primary interest is exploring the nature of phenotypic evolution and diversification. I'm particularly interested in why certain evolutionary shifts are unidirectional and if that is related to the type of genetic change underlying the shift. Recent Publications: Wessinger, C. A. and M. D. Rausher. 2012. Lessons from flower colour evolution on targets of selection. Journal of Experimental Botany 63: 5741-5749. Filiault, D.L., C.A. Wessinger, J.R. Dinneny, J. Lutes, J. O. Borevitz, D. Weigel, J. Chory, and J. N. Maloff. 2008. Amino acid polymorphisms in Arabidopsis phytochrome B cause differential responses to light. Proceedings of the Natoinal Academy of Sciences, 105: 3157-3162.

Recent Presentations

• Wessinger, C., and M. D. Rausher. 2012. Parallel adaptation to hummingbird pollination in Penstemon involves repeated nonfunctionalization of the same flower color enzyme. Society for the Study of Evolution, Ottowa, Canada
• Wessinger, C., and M. D. Rausher. 2012. Genetics of parallel evolution in Penstemon. Southeast Population, Ecology, and Evolutionary Genetics Meeting. Clemson, South Carolina.
  
• Wessinger, C., and M. D. Rausher. 2010. Genetics of pollination syndrome divergence in a pair of Penstemon species. Society for the Study of Evolution. Portland, Oregon.

Post-doctoral researcher
Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin
Phone: (785) 864-1768
zwickl@ku.edu

Faculty Sponsor: Mark Holder

Research Interest: Theoretical Systematics

Recent Publications:

• Holder, Mark T., Derrick J. Zwickl and Christophe Dessimoz. 2008 (in press). Evaluating the Robustness of Phylogenetic Methods to Among-Site Variability in Substitution Processes. Phil. Trans. R Soc. B: Biol. Sci.
• Heath, Tracy A., Derrick J. Zwickl, Junhyong Kim and David M. Hillis. 2008. Taxon sampling affects inferences of macroevolutionary processes from phylogenetic trees. Syst. Biol. 57(1):160–6.
• Zakon, Harold H., Ying Lu, Derrick J. Zwickl and David M. Hillis. 2006. Sodium channel genes and the evolution of diversity in communication signals of electric fishes: Convergent molecular evolution. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 103(10):3675–80.