Understanding molecular evolution across time and space: new tools, new tricks, and new data.

Robert Lanfear (http://www.robertlanfear.com/)
The Molecular Evolution Lab, Macquarie University, Sidney

 
Rates and patterns of molecular evolution vary dramatically among different lineages, and we are beginning to grasp some of the underlying causes of this variation. But our understanding is still very incomplete, and there are many unresolved problems. In many cases, we are faced with fascinating observations for which we have very few explanations. One example of this is the surprisingly strong link between rates of molecular evolution and longevity in some clades. In this talk, I'll first discuss what we do and don't know about variation in rates of molecular evolution in animals and plants. I'll then discuss some of the ongoing work in my lab that aims to address some of the biggest gaps in our understanding, with a focus on understanding the causes of molecular evolution in plants.