About Randall J. Bayer

Academic Degrees

• B.Sc.: Cornell University, 1978

• M.Sc.: The Ohio State University, 1980, Evolutionary Studies in Antennaria

• Ph.D.: The Ohio State University, 1984, Evolutionary Investigations in Antennaria

Areas of Involvement

Professional Activities:

• Assistant Professor of Biology at University of Windsor (1984 - 1987); I have taught courses in Phytogeography, Taxonomy of Vascular Plants, Plant Anatomy and Morphology, Evolutionary Processes in Flowering Plants.

• Curator of the Benedict Herbarium of the Biology Department at the University of Windsor (1984-1987). The herbarium houses the largest collection of vascular plants from Carolinian Ontario Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Botany (1992-present).

• Assistant Professor of Botany at University of Alberta (1987-1990); I taught courses in Economic Botany, Plant Geography, Morphology and Anatomy of Vascular Plants, Plant Systematics, and General Botany.

• Curator of the Vascular Plant Herbarium (ALTA) of the Botany Department (later Biological Sciences) of the University of Alberta (1987-1997). This is the second largest vascular plant herbarium in western Canada.

• Member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Botanical Association. (1989-1993).

• Treasurer of the University of Alberta Faculty Club (1991-1993).

• Chairman of the Systematics and Phytogeography Section of the Canadian Botanical Association (1990-1993).

• Associate Professor of Botany (Biological Sciences as of 1 July 1994) at the University of Alberta (1990-1995). I have taught courses in Economic Botany, Plant Geography, Morphology and Anatomy of Vascular Plants, Plant Systematics, and Molecular Systematics.

• Associate Editor of the Canadian Journal of Botany (1992-present).

• Visiting Adjunct Scientist at Washington State University, Department of Botany (1994).

• Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta (1995-1997). I have taught courses in Economic Botany, Plant Geography, Morphology and Anatomy of Vascular Plants, Plant Systematics, Principles of Biological Systematics, and Molecular

• Executive Council Member International Organization of Plant Biosystematists (1995-1998).

• Adjunct Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Alberta (1997-present).

• Senior Research Systematist Australian National Herbarium (CANB), Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research (1997-present).

• Adjunct Reader in Botany at the Australian National University, (1998-present).

Membership in Professional Societies:

• American Society of Plant Taxonomists (since 1978)

• Australian Systematic Botany Society (since 1997)

• Botanical Society of America (since 1978)

• California Botanical Society (since 1980)

• Canadian Botanical Association (since 1984)

• International Association of Plant Taxonomists (since 1982)

• International Organization of Plant Biosystematists (since 1987)

• New England Botanical Club (since 1979)

• Torrey Botanical Club (since 1980)

• Sigma Xi (since 1980)

• Society for the Study of Evolution (1978-1997)

Current Research Interests

My primary research interests centre on the taxonomy and evolution of members of the sunflower family (Asteraceae: Gnaphalieae). I use modern systematic techniques such as DNA sequencing, restriction length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in DNA and isozymes to investigate evolutionary relationships among members of various groups from sunflowers to pitcher plants. I am also interested in the population genetic structure of polyploid clonal organisms, as well as the population genetic structure of rare and endangered plant populations.

My current project focuses on evolutionary studies in the tribe Gnaphalieae, which have their greatest diversity in Australia, followed by Southern Africa and South America and are poorly represented in the northern hemisphere. Phylogenetic relationships among the approximately 181 genera of the Gnaphalieae are poorly known and a recent morphology-based cladistic analysis (Anderberg, 1991) of the tribe has stirred up much controversy among the world's handful of experts on the tribe who are unsettled with these results. The short-term goal of the study is to resolve phylogenetic relationships among Australian and South African genera of the tribe using molecular tools (currently sequencing of several chloroplast spacer and gene sequences). The two longer term goals of the project are: (1) To complete phylogenetic studies including all genera and to resolve the relationships of the tribe to other tribes in the Asteraceae (2) To resolve phylogenetic relationships among species, and test the monophyly of, the large Australian genera such as Angianthus, Gnephosis, Rhodanthe, and Helichrysum.

Publications

A full list of publications, linked to PDF files for each paper, is available at:

http://www.cpbr.gov.au/cpbr/publications/bayer-publications/