Ecology and Evolution of the Basidomycete Genus Calostoma.
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| Click here to learn more about the genus Calostoma |
The basidiomycete genus Calostoma is one of the more bizarre gasteroid fungi out there. The picture to the right is of Calostoma cinnabarinum, the type species for the genus. Much of my thesis is designed to explore the ecology and evolutionary history of this interesting group of fungi.
The jist of my Ph.D dissertation is outlined in my NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant (DDIG) proposal which was awarded to me this last spring. The proposal is in 3 parts:
1 Describe the ecological role of Calostoma using
molecular methods and analysis of stable isotopes.
-Ecology of Calostoma
cinnabarinum.
2 Test the monophyly of Calostoma and resolve its
higher-level phylogenetic position within the Sclerodermatineae.
-preliminary study
3 Infer species-level relationships within the genus using phylogenetic analyses of a comprehensive sampling of Calostoma taxa.
I have also recently recieved the Forest Fungal Ecology Research Award and the Graduate Fellowship from the Mycological Society of America, which I will be using towards my research goals.