Coyne and Orr (1989) lamented that students of speciation were viewed “as evolutionary biologists' poor cousins, doomed to eternal speculation about untestable theories.” Fortunately, things have changed dramatically over the past decade. Advances in genetics, molecular biology, phylogeny reconstruction and theory have led to a renaissance in speciation studies.

The field has attracted numerous new empiricists and theorists, and major advances have been made along several fronts. Examples include elucidation of ecological character shifts associated with speciation, identification of genes that contribute to reproductive isolation, documentation of the porosity of reproductive barriers, new insights into genetic and genomic consequences of different modes of speciation, and the re-creation of naturally occurring species in the lab or greenhouse. Many of these advances have been particularly gratifying to plant scientists, because they confirm long-held hypotheses about the nature of plant species and speciation.

The goal of this 11th New Phytologist Symposium is to highlight areas of plant speciation where considerable progress has been made or is likely in the near future and to relate these discoveries to the work of early students of plant speciation, particularly Verne Grant. Perhaps no other scientist has contributed more to our understanding of plant speciation or influenced more plant evolutionists, young and old. To honour his many empirical discoveries, conceptual advances, and masterful syntheses of the speciation literature, the symposium is commemoratively named after his most famous book, Plant Speciation.

Grants As usual, the Trust is offering a number of bursaries for those research students and postdoctoral scientists who are presenting posters.

Abstracts These should be sent to the Plant Canada site. If you are applying for a New Phytologist bursary also send copies to Loren Rieseberg and New Phytologist Central Office. For further information about these grants click here.

Posters There will be two prizes of 250 US dollars awarded for the best posters. Every participant at the meeting will have an opportunity to vote for the poster that they judge to be the best, based on the science presented in the best way in poster format.

Please note that you should register and book accommodation via the Plant Canada site.

Illustrations: Plant Speciation logo by Sam Day. The logo depicts scarlet Gilia, of the Polemoniaceae - the systematics of the Polemoniaceae was one of Verne Grant's specialist fields. Alpine flowers, courtesy of T J Tschaplinski. Helianthus anomalus, courtesy of L Rieseberg. Beech forest, courtesy of R J Norby.
Plant speciation is funded by the New Phytologist Trust

Last updated: January 17, 2007