Dra. Susana Aurora Magallón Puebla

Orcid
Perfil publicado por la revista New Phytologist

The general topic of my research is plant macroevolution, which is investigated in a phylogenetic context. I combine neontological and paleobotanical approaches to conduct organismic studies investigating the evolution of floral structure; evolutionary studies investigating the time of origin and diversification of flowering plants; and biodiversity studies investigating the mechanisms that generate and maintain high plant species richness in Mesoamerica. A major component of my research is the timing and diversification mechanisms underlying angiosperm evolution. This research combines paleobotanical information and molecular-based, time-calibrated phylogenies derived from relaxed molecular clocks. The temporal framework of angiosperm origin and diversification is fundamental to identify biotic and abiotic factors that may ultimately cause high species-richness. Understanding the macroevolutionary causes underlying high plant species-richness in different Mesoamerican biomes is one of my main and current research interests. The basic question that I aim to respond is: How did Mesoamerica become so species-rich? My research group has addressed this question mostly by investigating the timing, mechanisms of diversification, and potential biotic or abiotic diversification correlates, of species-rich plant clades that are important components of Mesoamerican biomes.