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Rosana Zenil-Ferguson

Research Interests:
Comparative Phylogenetics
Macroevolution
plant science
Research Interest
Plant Macroevolution

My lab at the University of Kentucky develops new mathematical models and statistical tools to solve key questions of plant macroevolution. I focus in understanding how plant traits and polyploidy evolve and how changes in these traits link to the diversification patterns we observe in the tree of life.

Selected Publications:

Zenil-Ferguson, R., McEntee, J.P., Burleigh, J.G. and Duckworth, R.A. Linking ecological specialization to its macroevolutionary consequences: An example with passerine nest site. Biorxiv

Tribble, C.M., May, M.R., Jackson-Gainu, A., Zenil-Ferguson, R., Specht, C.D., and Rothfels, C.J. Unearthing modes of evolution of hierarchical morphological traits: differences in root morphology underlie climatic adaptation in the Liliales. 2022. Systematic Biology. In press. pdf 

Helmstetter, A.J., Glemin, S., Käfer, J., Zenil-Ferguson, R., Saquet, H., de Boer, H., Dagallier, L-P. M. J., Mazet, N., Reboud, E.L., Couvreur T. L. P., Condamine, F.L. 2022 Pulled Diversifica- tion Rates, Lineage-Through-Time Plots and Modern Macroevolutionary Modelling. Systematic Biology. 71(3): 758-773. pdf

Zenil-Ferguson, R., Burleigh, G., Igić, B., Freyman, W.A., Mayrose, I. and Goldberg, E.E., 2019. Interaction among ploidy, breeding system, and lineage diversification. New Phytologist. 224(3):1252-1265. pdf