Abstract Detail

Reticulate evolution and biogeography in ferns and lycophytes - a colloquium honoring Dr. David Barrington

Haufler, Christopher [1].

David Barrington: fern fanatic, consummate collector, creative collaborator, and Polystichumwhisperer par excellence.

Dave Barrington and I first met in Mexico City in December 1974. I was collecting Bommeria, and he was participating in one of the famous Rolla and Alice Tryon field trips. Over the course of subsequent fieldtrips together in Mexico and Japan I was impressed time and again with Dave’s collecting prowess as well as his boundless energy and great love of adventure. His constant drive for discovery in the field, the herbarium, and the laboratory is contagious, and his genuine passion for figuring out fern phylogeny is inspiring. The 1985 sabbatical he spent with Cathy Paris in my lab, when Charlie Werth was visiting and my students included Tom Ranker, Mike Windham, and Paul Wolf, was particularly memorable and productive. Although Dave began his career with tree ferns, he soon switched his focus to the enigmatic Polystichum, with which he would remain. Indeed, 23 of his 52 publications feature aspects of Polystichum, from hybridization and reticulate evolution to phylogeny and biogeography. He is the “go to” expert on the genus distributed from Central and South America to China and Japan. His publications and those of his students and collaborators have identified hybrids and unraveled the many reticulate snarls among lineages. They have also generated molecular evidence to test hypotheses of evolutionary history in the genus in both Asia and the Americas. Beyond Polystichum, Dave has provided invaluable insights into fern biogeography, helping to interpret areas of endemism and the role of long-distance dispersal and vicariance in shaping the distribution of seed-free plants. Just as importantly, Dave has influenced the future of our field by mentoring more than 20 graduate students who share his robust vision for research on ferns and lycophytes. Through his fieldwork, discoveries, collaborative interactions, and infectious enthusiasm, Dave has advanced our discipline in myriad ways, making it a better place for his contemporaries and successors.

1 - University Of Kansas, Department Of Ecology And Evolutionary Biology, 1200 Sunnyside Avenue, Haworth Hall, Lawrence, KS, 66045, United States

Keywords:
Barrington
Polystichum
biogeography
reticulate evolution.

Presentation Type: Colloquium Presentations
Session: CO09, Reticulate evolution and biogeography in ferns and lycophytes - a colloquium honoring Dr. David Barrington
Location: San Luis 2/Starr Pass
Date: Tuesday, July 30th, 2019
Time: 1:45 PM
Number: CO09002
Abstract ID:355
Candidate for Awards:None