Dr Richard Buggs
NERC Fellow
- Room: 5.16, Fogg Building
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7882 3058
- Email: r.buggs("at" sign) qmul.ac.uk
Research interests:
Research website: http://www.richardbuggs.com/
I am interested in the mechanisms of evolution. How do new species originate? How are they maintained? What causes them to go extinct? My current focus is in hybridization, which can cause both the origin and the extinction of species. I study this in two systems. (1) Birch trees on Scottish mountains. Dwarf Birch is rare and found mainly above the tree line, whereas Downy Birch is widespread below the tree line. The two species hybridise a great deal. I am using new DNA sequencing methods to work out how the two species maintain their identity in the face of hybridization, and the extent to which hybridization impedes the conservation of dwarf birch. I am especially interested in how global warming affects the dynamics of this system. This work is funded by a Fellowship from the Natural Environment Research Council. (2) New Tragopogon species in northeastern USA. In collaboration with Doug and Pam Soltis at the University of Florida, I am analyzing the genomic and gene expression changes that have occurred in the recently originated species Tragopogon miscellus and T. mirus (Daisy family). These arose naturally through hybridization and genome duplication less than 80 years ago. We are finding extensive changes occurring in the early generations of these species. This work is funded by the National Science Foundation (USA).