Fishbein Lab

We use knowledge about the evolutionary history of plants to understand the distribution of species, the interactions of plants and animals, the processes of speciation and hybridization, and the causes and consequences of rarity and weediness. By combining field studies, laboratory analyses, statistical modeling, and analysis of large datasets, lab members are striving to gain a holistic understanding of the factors that influence the generation of plant biodiversity.

Research Topics

• Phylogenetics & Phylogenomics
• Evolution of plant defenses
• Biodiversity
  
• Hybridization & Speciation

Big Questions

• How do new species form?
• How does hybridization influence evolution?
• How do plants and insects co-evolve?
• How do competing plant species coexist?
• What controls the amount of biodiversity?