Mountains are well-known as biodiversity hotspots, harbouring a significant number of endemic species, but how this hyperdiversity emerged, remains unknown. In this postdoc project, funded through the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship, I will build a phylogenomic framework for the hyperdiverse mountain genus Rhododendron (Ericaceae). I will integrate this with occurrence records and geological models of the Southeast Asian region, to reconstruct the biogeographical history of the lineage across the Asian (sky) islands, and assess whether up- or downslope migration or inter-montane dispersal events have shaped its current distribution. I will also evaluate the role of traits - especially growth form and flower traits - in the diversification of the genus.
Keywords
Mountain biodiversity, diversification rate, plant evolution, trait evolution, extinction risk, Southeast Asia, geology