Integrative study of the diversity and evolutionary history of tropical plants in Madagascar

Summary

A major mass extinction event took place at the end of the Cretaceous – 66 MYA, wiping out 75% of species (including dinosaurs). This means that most of plant lineages on Earth today evolved from the survivors of this event. Madagascar biota is a mix of ancient taxa with Gondwanan origins that survived the Cretaceous extinction event, and young taxa that arrived there via dispersals. This project will focus on the plant families Podocarpaceae and Winteraceae of Madagascar, two families with long evolutionary histories, and provide new data and insights into the diversity changes of vegetation in northwest Madagascar from the Cretaceous when dinosaurs still roamed this continent until present.

The project has four main objectives:

1. To organize joint field expeditions including paleontological and botanical expertise to collect samples of Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils and extant material of Podocarpaceae and Winteraceae.
2. To compile data on diversity changes of the fossil flora to assess the patterns and causes of biodiversity change through time.
3. To investigate the historical biogeography of the extant Malagasy Podocarpaceae and Winteraceae.
4. To organize workshops in grant writing, field and laboratory methodology, and awareness of sustainable use of national and local natural resources.

This research is funded by Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR; Network grant)

Project duration: 2021-2023

Project Participants at the Museum

Sylvain Razafimandimbison (Phylogeny, biogeography)

Vivi Vajda (Paleobotany)