Format: ORAL

Patricia W. Chan1 4 Ashley Hamersma2 Barbara Rye3 Matthew Barrett 3 4 Thomas J. Givnish1

1 University of Wisconsin - Madison, Wisconsin, USA 2 University of Florida, Florida, USA 3 Western Australian Herbarium, Western Australia, AU 4 Australian Tropical Herbarium, Queensland, AU 5 James Cook University, Queensland, AU

We are using a variety of approaches to analyze the relative importance of various drivers of species diversification in the large, relatively young, morphologically diverse genus Darwinia (Myrtaceae) from Western Australia. This group is ideal for such a study given the narrow endemism of many species, the sky-island biogeography of several taxa, the apparent lack of long-distance seed dispersal across the group, and the striking diversity of inflorescences and associated pollinators, with the latter including birds, marsupials, and several groups of insects. We are developing a Myrtaceae bait kit for phylogenomic studies of Darwinia, and have sequenced and analyzed several hundred single-copy nuclear loci. We are extending these studies now to construct and date nuclear and plastome phylogenies, to reconstruct relationships, character-state evolution, species diversification rates, and historical biogeography in Darwinia. We are also investigating the reproductive ecology and pollination syndromes of several representative Darwinia species through studies of pollinator behavior, floral morphometrics, and floral volatile and nectar chemistry. Data resulting from these studies will integrated into analyses of the drivers of taxonomic and morphological diversification in Darwinia. This research will shed light on speciation, endemism, adaptive radiation, coevolution, and convergence in a large, threatened clade from the Western Australia biodiversity hotspot based on research by collaborators at the Western Australian Herbarium, Australian Tropical Herbarium, Kings Park Botanic Garden, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.