Thur 13-Dec-2018 (7pm ET) – Phylogenomics reveal history of hybridization and polyploidy in Neotropical Rosaceae

Update (4-Dec-2018): We have the pleasure of being joined by lead author Dr. Diego Morales-Briones at our upcoming meeting!

Hello Everyone,

Our final #PlantChat meeting of 2018 is on Thur December 13th at 7pm (ET).

We will be discussing a recent paper that explores different sources of incongruence in the Neotropical Rosaceae genus Lachemilla (Morales-Briones et al. 2018). This paper uses phylogenomics and multiple species tree and species network analyses to resolve the backbone relationships of the genus and reconstruct its reticulate evolutionary history.

Best wishes,
Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Morales-Briones et al. (2018). Phylogenomic analyses reveal a deep history of hybridization and polyploidy in the Neotropical genus Lachemilla (Rosaceae). New Phytologist 218: 1668-1684. (https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15099)

Lachemilla orbiculata (photo by Dick Culbert; CC BY 2.0)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 29-Nov-2018 (7pm ET) – Re-run of: Using herbaria to study global change

Hello Everyone,

Due to several scheduling conflicts and sustained interest in the paper, #PlantChat will be re-running Lang et al. (2018) on Thur Nov 29th, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

We will discuss a recent paper that explores how herbaria can be employed in the study of global change (Lang et al. 2018). The authors’ review how herbaria can study the long-term impacts of pollution, habitat change, climate change, and invasive species on plants. The paper provides a lot of thought-provoking discussion on the growing number of uses of herbaria through time, and how to enhance and ensure their continued contributions to science.

Best wishes,
Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Lang et al. (2018). Using herbaria to study global environmental change. New Phytologist. 2018 Aug 30 [Epub ahead of print]. (https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15401)

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, with invasive Lupinus polyphyllus (photo by Krzysztof Golik; CC BY-SA 4.0)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 15-Nov-2018 (7pm ET) – Using herbaria to study global change

Hello Everyone,

After many, many delays, #PlantChat will be back on Thur Nov 15th, 2018, at 7pm (ET). Thanks for your patience!

We will be discussing a recent paper that explores how herbaria can be employed in the study of global change (Lang et al. 2018). This paper reviews how herbaria can study the long-term impacts of pollution, habitat change, climate change, and invasive species on plants.

Best wishes,
Dr. Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
– – – – – – – – – –
Citation: Lang et al. (2018). Using herbaria to study global environmental change. New Phytologist. 2018 Aug 30 [Epub ahead of print]. (https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15401)

Lake Tekapo, New Zealand, with invasive Lupinus polyphyllus (photo by Krzysztof Golik; CC BY-SA 4.0)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 06-Sept-2018 (7pm ET) – Botanical parasitism of an insect

Hello everyone and welcome back!

Thank-you for your patience with the abrupt wrap-up of the summer session. Our first meeting of the fall season of #PlantChat is scheduled for Thur Sept 6th, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

Given the short notice, I thought we would start with a smaller paper on the first recorded interaction of a plant parasitizing an insect, in this case a gall-forming wasp (Egan et al. 2018). The study reports the location and species involved with this novel interaction, including statistics on the negative impacts on galls that are parasitized by the love vine.

The remaining time can be spent catching up and discussing a tentative schedule for the Fall semester.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Egan et al. (2018). Botanical parasitism of an insect by a parasitic plant. Current Biology 28: R863–R864. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2018.06.024)

Parasitic love vine, Cassythia filiformis (photo by Scott Zona; CC BY 2.0)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 14-June-2018 (7pm ET) – Are there too many ferns? Question and Response

(Update 13-June-2018: We have the privilege of being joined by lead author Dr. Eric Schuettpelz. Thanks for joining us!)

Hello Everyone,

Our next meeting is Thur June 14th, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

We will be discussing a pair of question and response papers that debate whether or not there are too many fern genera. This first paper (Schuettpelz et al. 2018) supports the recent classification of nearly 100 systematists (Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group; PPG I) that delineates families and genera on the basis of morphology, molecular data, and the criterion of monophyly. The second paper (Christenhusz & Chase 2018) argues for broader familial and generic concepts for taxonomic stability. In our discussion we will evaluate both of their arguments.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citations: Question: Schuettpelz et al. 2018. Are there too many fern genera? Taxon, published online fast track, 6 June 2018. (https://doi.org/10.12705/673.1)

Response: Christenhusz & Chase (2018). PPG recognizes too many fern genera. Taxon, published online fast track, 6 June 2018. (https://doi.org/10.12705/673.2)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 31-May-2018 (7pm ET) – Convergent evolution in floral shape tied to pollinator shifts

(Update 25-May-2018): We have the privilege of being joined by lead author Dr. Stacey Smith. Thanks for taking the time to join us!

Hello Everyone,

Our next meeting is Thur May 31st, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

We will be discussing a recent paper that investigates the evolution of floral form in Iochrominae (Solanaceae) (Smith & Kriebel 2018). This paper uses morphometrics to demonstrate that convergent evolution in floral shape is tied to pollinator syndrome, and is one of few empirical studies showing this on a macroevolutionary scale.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Smith & Kriebel 2018. Convergent evolution of floral shape tied to pollinator shifts in Iochrominae (Solanaceae). Evolution 72: 688-697. (https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13416)

Iochroma cyaneum (photo by Michael Becker; CC BY-SA 3.0)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 17-May-2018 (7pm ET) – Drivers of rapid diversification in Andean bellflowers

Hello Everyone,

Our next meeting is Thur May 17th, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

We will be discussing a recent paper that investigates the abiotic and biotic drivers of rapid diversification in Andean bellflowers (Campanulaceae) (Lagomarsino et al. 2016). This paper teases apart the impact of mountain building, climate change, pollination syndrome, and fruit type, on speciation and extinction rates of a rapidly diversifying clade (the centropogonid clade of Campanulaceae subfamily Lobelioideae).

Additionally, we have the privilege of being joined by lead author Dr. Laura Lagomarsino! We are looking forward to this discussion.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Lagomarsino et al. 2016. The abiotic and biotic drivers of rapid diversification in Andean bellflowers (Campanulaceae). New Phytologist 210: 1430-1442. (https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.13920)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 03-May-2018 (7pm ET) – Phylogenetic Classification of the World’s Tropical Forests

Hello Everyone,

Our next meeting is Thur May 3rd, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

We will be discussing a recent paper that presents a phylogenetic-based biogeographic classification of the world’s tropical forests (Slik et al. 2018). This paper identifies five primary regions that do not support traditional neo- and paleotropical forest divisions.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Slik et al. 2018. Phylogenetic classification of the world’s tropical forests. PNAS February 5, 2018. 201714977; published ahead of print February 5, 2018 (www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1714977115)

Fig. 1. Slik et al. 2018 (http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/01/31/1714977115/tab-figures-data)

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their passion for plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 19-Apr-2018 (7pm ET) – Global Flora Project Nomenclature Part 1 (Eds. Christenhusz, Fay & Byng 2018)

(Update 17-April-2018): We have the privilege of being joined by Dr. Russell Barrett, who has been instrumental in coordinating the community response to the nomenclature of the Global Flora Project. His insights into this discussion are greatly appreciated.

Hello Everyone,

Our next meeting is Thur April 19th, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

We will be reading about the nomenclatural changes proposed by the Global Flora Project (Eds. Christenhusz, Fay & Byng 2018). This publication is controversial for making sweeping taxonomic changes to important plant groups with newfound disregard for the collaborative nature of plant taxonomy. Here, we will examine the beginning arguments of the paper (pages 1-2) and as well as the public response from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists (https://www.facebook.com/asptsystbot/posts/10155458519005878).

This paper has caused a stir in the plant taxonomy community and it is important that we examine, discuss, and confer with our colleagues the implications of this and other such publications.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Global List of Vascular Plants (GLOVAP) Nomenclature Part 1, The Global Flora Vol 4: 1-155.  http://www.plantgateway.com/product/vol-4-glovap-nomenclature-part-1/

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their love of plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.

Thur 5-Apr-2018 (7pm ET) – Phenological Research using Herbarium Specimens

(Update: 17-Apr-2018: Belated thanks to Katie Pearson, MSc student and co-author of this paper, for attending and presenting valuable insight into their study.)

Hello Everyone,

Welcome back to our second year of #PlantChat!

Our first meeting is Thur April 5th, 2018, at 7pm (ET).

Spring is around the corner, so its timely that we’re discussing a review paper on advances in the use of herbarium specimens in phenological research (Willis et al. 2017).

See below for more information.

Best wishes,
Warren Cardinal-McTeague
#PlantChat Coordinator
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Citation: Willis et al. 2017. Old plants, new tricks: Phenological research using herbarium specimens. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 32(7): 531-546. http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/fulltext/S0169-5347(17)30093-9

#PlantChat, an Online Biweekly Botany Journal Club! This is an open online discussion group framed around plant systematics, with the aim of circulating through related subjects on evolution, biogeography, ecology, conservation, genomics, and more! When possible, we like to invite authors to discuss their paper. Meetings usually occur every second Thursday at 7pm ET over Google Hangouts. #PlantChat was originally designed to build an accessible online community where botanists from smaller research groups could connect and discuss topics of interest. Members include a mix of students, postdocs, researchers, and professors, united by their love of plants. If you’re interested in joining, send an email using the contact form or a DM through Twitter.