Systematics and Evolution (HA)
Floristic Systematics of the Australasian Flora
Program Leader: Brendan Lepschi
 Rutaceae
Researcher: Tom Hartley:
This study is concerned with the systematics of 32 of the 74 genera of Rutaceae which occur naturally in the Australasian-Malesian region. Excluded are the 25 genera which comprise the subfamily Aurantioideae in the region and the 17 genera which are believed (Hartley, 1995) to constitute the Australasian tribe Boronieae. Studies of the genera and their constituent species are based mainly on morphology (including that of the pollen) and focus primarily on traditional methods of analysis and presentation. They are concerned mainly with evolutionary relationships, identification, nomenclature, and biogeography. Most of the plants occur in the rain forest.
 Santalaceae
Researcher: B. J. Lepschi:
My research on the Santalaceae is focused on the Australian elements of the tribe Amphorogyneae. The Amphorogyneae comprises ten genera of aerial and terrestrial parasitic shrubs and climbers, extending from Asia to Australia, with its centres of diversity in Malesia, and (to a lesser extent) Australia. Three genera, Choretrum (c. 6 spp.), Leptomeria (17 spp.) and the monotypic Spirogardnera, are endemic to Australia, where they are widespread throughout the southern half of the continent. Unlike some of the more showy members of the Australian flora, Choretrum and its relatives have not attracted a great deal of taxonomic attention. Consequently, little systematic work has been undertaken on these plants, and their taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships are not well understood. A taxonomic revision of Leptomeria has recently been completed, and the immediate aim of this work is to undertake a similar revision of Choretrum. These treatments will provide a basis for the longer-term aims of the project, which include a re-assessment of the generic boundaries between Choretrum, Leptomeria and Spirogardnera, and production of species-level phylogeny for this group of taxa.
 Pteridophytes
Researcher: J. Croft:
A dry continent, Australia is not as rich in ferns and allied species as the wet, tropical lands to our north. Nevertheless, a number of species have adapted to semi-arid conditions. These areas and the wetter forests, helped by the wide latitude range of the continent, support a flora of c. 456 species in 112 genera; c. 95-100 of these species are considered endangered, vulnerable, rare or poorly known, and most of these survive in isolated populations in N Queensland. The focus of this project is the documentation and visualization of the pteridophyte flora of the Australasian and Papuasian regions by developing and implementing a range of bioinformatic solutions to handling botanical data, based primarily on the collections and databases of the Australian National Herbarium. In addition to internal database access, external public Internet gateways provide access to plant name information and distribution and occurrence information, including dynamically generated maps; images of pteridophytes are being added to these resources. On-line descriptions and keys to Australasian and Papuasian pteridophyte families and genera are being developed and made available on the Internet and a descriptive character list has been developed for pteridophytes and a DELTA dataset is being populated for the c. 300 families and genera of ferns and fern allies of the world with a view to building an interactive Internet key.
Spatial Distribution of Phylogenetic Diversity in the Australian Biota
 Researcher: D. Rosauer:
This PhD project uses phylogenies for a diverse selection of Australian plant and animal taxa, combined with continent wide species location datasets to identify important places for biodiversity conservation and to shed light on the broad scale geography of evolutionary processes within and between the different taxon groups. It applies and builds on existing diversity measures to develop robust spatial measures of biological diversity suitable for wider application. For each taxon group I will map an estimate of phylogenetic diversity across Australia. I will look for patterns in phylogenetic diversity and endemism within and between taxonomic groups, and seek to quantify and minimise sources of uncertainty in the spatial measurement of phylogenetic diversity.
Work is currently in progress on the following flora and fauna groups: Daviesia (Fabaceae), Pomaderreae (Rhamnaceae) and Pelodryadinae (Hylidae) with several additional faunal groups proposed for inclusion.
My research is supported by an ARC Linkage Grant titled: What is the spatial and environmental distribution of phylogenetic diversity in the Australian biota? The industry partner is the Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage & the Arts. |
