Barbara A. Whitlock

Associate Professor 29 Cox Science Center, Dept. of Biology
1301 Memorial Drive, Coral Gables, FL 33124

(305)284-5412
Fax (305)284-3039

email
Laboratory Website

Education and Professional Experience

  • Assistant Professor of Biology , Universtiy of MIami 2003-
  • Facultry Associate, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Gardens 2003-
  • Darwin Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2000-2002.
  • Ph.D., Harvard University, 2000, Biology.
  • M.S., University of Missouri, St. Louis, 1994, Biology.
  • B.S., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1990, Botany and French.

    • Grants and Awards

    Areas of Focus

    Evolutionary Biology
    Conservation and Restoration Biology
    Tropical Biology

    Research Interests

    The primary goal of my research is to understand the origins of plant diversity. I use phylogenetic analyses of DNA sequence data in combination with information from morphology, anatomy, ecology, and genetics to understand the timing and direction of changes in floral and vegetative traits, geographic distribution, and diversification rates. Current projects in my lab focus on three groups of flowering plants: chocolate and its relatives in the genus Theobroma; the Lasiopetaleae, a spectacular radiation of shrubs and trees in Australia that are closely related to Theobroma; and the fringed gentians, lovely wildflowers in the genus Gentianopsis. My research has always had a strong field component. I have studied plants in Cameroon, Australia, many locations in South and Central America, and most recently in the western US and Florida.

    Teaching Interests

    I encourage students at all levels to explore and gain an appreciation of the diversity of life and the evolutionary processes underlying it. At UM, I have taught Evolution and Biodiversity (Bil 160 and 382), Evolution (Bil 520), and Systematics (Bil 521).

    Publications

    • Whitlock, B. A. and D. A. Baum. 1999. Phylogenetic relationships of Theobroma and Herrania (Sterculiaceae) based on sequences of the nuclear gene Vicilin. Systematic Botany 24: 128-138.
    • Baum, D. A., and B. A. Whitlock. 1999. Plant Development: Genetic clues to petal evolution. Current Biology 9: R255-R257.
    • Alverson, W. S., B. A. Whitlock, R. Nyffeler, C. Bayer and D. A. Baum. 1999. Phylogeny of the core Malvales: Evidence from ndhF sequence data. American Journal of Botany 86: 1474-1486.
    • Whitlock, B. A., C. Bayer and D. A. Baum. 2001. Phylogenetic relationships and floral evolution of the Byttnerioideae (Sterculiaceae or Malvaceae s.l.) based on sequences of the chloroplast gene ndhF. Systematic Botany 26: 420-437
    • Qiu, Y.-L., J. Lee, B. A. Whitlock, F. Bernasconi-Quadroni, and O. Dombrovska. 2001. Testing the validity of Gymnosperms as an outgroup to Angiosperms using divergent sequences. Molecular Biology and Evolution 18: 1745-1753.
    • Whitlock, B. A. 2001. Malvales. Encylopedia of Life Sciences. London: Nature Publishing Group
    • Whitlock, B. A. K. G. Karol, and W. S. Alverson. 2003. Chloroplast DNA sequences confirm the placement of Oceanopapaver within Corchorus (Grewioideae: (Malvaceae s.l., formerly Tiliaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 164: 35-41.
    • Nyffeler, R., C. Bayer, W. S. Alverson, A. Yen, B A. Whitlock, M. W. Chase, and D. A. Baum. 2005. Phylogenetic analysis of the Malvadendrina clade (Malvaceae s.l.) based on plastid DNA sequences. Organisms, Diversity, and Evolution 2: 109-124.
    • Qiu, Y.-L., O. Dombrovska, J. Lee, L. Li, B. A. Whitlock, F. Bernasconi-Quadroni, J. S. Rest, C. C. Davis, T. Borsch, K. W. Hilu, S. Renner, D. E. Soltis, P. S. Soltis, M. J. Zanis, J. Cannone, R. Gutell, M. Powell, V. Savolainen, L. W. Chatrou, M. W. Chase. 2005. Phylogenetic analyses of basal angiosperms based on nine plastid, mitochondrial and nuclear genes. International Journal of Plant Sciences 166: 815-842.
    • Baum, D. A., S. D. Smith, A. Yen. W. S. Alverson, R. Nyffeler, B. A. Whitlock, R. L. Oldham. 2004. Phylogenetic relationships of Malvatheca (Bombacoideae and Malvoideae; Malvaceae sensu lato) as inferred from plastid DNA sequences. American Journal of Botany 91: 1863-1871.
    • Wilkins, C. F., and B. A. Whitlock. 2005. A new species of Commersonia (Malvaceae s.l.) from the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia. Muelleria 22: 87-92.
    • Borrone, J.W., A.W. Meerow, D.N. Kuhn, B.A. Whitlock, and R.J. Schnell. 2007. The potential of the WRKY gene family for phylogenetic reconstruction: an example from the Malvaceae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 44: 1147-1154.
    • Wilkins, C. F. L. M. Copeland, and B. A. Whitlock. 2007. Two new species of Commersonia (Malvaceae s.I.) from south-eastern Australia. Telopea 12:61-71.
    • Whitlock, B. A., J. Silver, P. A. Groff, and J. Prince. Accepted pending revision. Comparative seedcoat morphology of Gentianopsis. Rhodora.
    Dept. of Biology, Cox Science Ctr.
    1301 Memorial Dr., University of Miami
    Coral Gables, Florida 33124-0421         		College of Arts and Sciences homepage
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    fax. 305-284-3039
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