Lars Nauheimer

From EESwiki

Evolution and biogeography of Alocasia (Araceae) with a focus on the role of niche preferences for speciation

Alocasia is a genus of Araceae comprising c. 85 species distributed from Sri Lanka to subtropical Australia. Most species are lowland perhumid to everwet forest understorey herbs, although a few grow on exposed sites or at elevations above 1000 m. Alocasia is most diverse on Borneo (c. 40 species), the Philippines (c. 18), and New Guinea (c. 12). Rather few species occur in continental Asia and only a single indigenous species occurs in Australia. Nearly all species on the Islands of the Malay Archipelago are endemic and often restricted to a very small range.

The aim of my PhD thesis is to understand the current distribution pattern and the evolution of the Alocasia in the historical and geographical context. A phylogeny of the complete genus will be the basis for further biogeographical analyses. A fossil based molecular clock will allow dating the dispersal events and relating them to the geographic and climatic history of the SE Asian region. Additionally, I will collect occurrence data from herbaria and through fieldwork to perform climate niche modeling for selected taxa. Comparison of climate niche preferences of sister species will enable to assess the role of niche separation for the diversification process on newly colonized islands.

Supervisor: Susanne Renner