Richard Saunders

Prof. Richard Saunders

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Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

35Years (1992-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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18 April 2012 in Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society
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LCLars W. Chatrou
Lars W. Chatrou
MPMichael D. Pirie
Michael D. Pirie
RERoy H. J. Erkens
Roy H. J. Erkens
TCThomas L. P. Couvreur
Thomas L. P. Couvreur
KNKurt M. Neubig
Kurt M. Neubig
MCMark W. Chase
Mark W. Chase

25 November 2010 in Journal of Biogeography
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Journal Article
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TCThomas L. P. Couvreur
Thomas L. P. Couvreur
MPMichael D. Pirie
Michael D. Pirie
LCLars W. Chatrou
Lars W. Chatrou
RSRichard Saunders
Richard Saunders
YSYvonne C. F. Su
Yvonne C. F. Su
RERoy H. J. Erkens
Roy H. J. Erkens

4 August 2017 in Scientific Reports
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Journal Article
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XGXing Guo
Xing Guo
CTChin Cheung Tang
Chin Cheung Tang
DTDaniel C. Thomas
Daniel C. Thomas
TCThomas L. P. Couvreur
Thomas L. P. Couvreur
RSRichard Saunders
Richard Saunders
The Annonaceae, the largest family in the early-divergent order Magnoliales, comprises 107 genera and c. 2,400 species. Previous molecular phylogenetic studies targeting different taxa have generated large quantities of partially overlapping DNA sequence data for many species, although a large-scale phylogeny based on the maximum number of representatives has never been reconstructed. We use a supermatrix of eight chloroplast markers (rbcL,matK,ndhF,psbA-trnH,trnL-F,atpB-rbcL,trnS-Gandycf1) to reconstruct the most comprehensive tree to date, including 705 species (29%) from 105 genera (98%). This provides novel insights into the relationships of five enigmatic genera (Bocagea,Boutiquea,Cardiopetalum,DuckeanthusandPhoenicanthus). Fifteen main clades are retrieved in subfamilies Annonoideae and Malmeoideae collectively, 14 of which correspond with currently recognised tribes.Phoenicanthuscannot be accommodated in any existing tribe, however: it is retrieved as sister to a clade comprising the tribes Dendrokingstonieae, Monocarpieae and Miliuseae, and we therefore validate a new tribe, Phoenicantheae. Our results provide strong support for many previously recognised groups, but also indicate non-monophyly of several genera (Desmopsis,Friesodielsia,Klarobelia,Oxandra,PiptostigmaandStenanona). The relationships of these non-monophyletic genera—and two other genera (FroesiodendronandMelodorum) not yet sampled—are discussed, with recommendations for future research.

1 January 2020 in Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
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Journal Article
Open access
BXB. Xue
B. Xue
XGX. Guo
X. Guo
JLJ.B. Landis
J.B. Landis
MSM. Sun
M. Sun
CTC.C. Tang
C.C. Tang
RSRichard Saunders
Richard Saunders
A major goal of phylogenetic systematics is to understand both the patterns of diversification and the processes by which these patterns are formed. Few studies have focused on the ancient, species-rich Magnoliales clade and its diversification pattern. Within Magnoliales, the pantropically distributed Annonaceae are by far the most genus-rich and species-rich family-level clade, with c. 110 genera and c. 2,400 species. We investigated the diversification patterns across Annonaceae and identified traits that show varied associations with diversification rates using a time-calibrated phylogeny of 835 species (34.6% sampling) and 11,211 aligned bases from eight regions of the plastid genome (rbcL, matK, ndhF, psbA-trnH, trnL-F, atpB-rbcL, trnS-G, and ycf1). Twelve rate shifts were identified using BAMM: in Annona, Artabotrys, Asimina, Drepananthus, Duguetia, Goniothalamus, Guatteria, Uvaria, Xylopia, the tribes Miliuseae and Malmeeae, and the Desmos-Dasymaschalon-Friesodielsia-Monanthotaxis clade. TurboMEDUSA and method-of-moments estimator analyses showed largely congruent results. A positive relationship between species richness and diversification rate is revealed using PGLS. Our results show that the high species richness in Annonaceae is likely the result of recent increased diversification rather than the steady accumulation of species via the 'museum model'. We further explore the possible role of selected traits (habit, pollinator trapping, floral sex expression, pollen dispersal unit, anther septation, and seed dispersal unit) in shaping diversification patterns, based on inferences of BiSSE, MuSSE, HiSSE, and FiSSE analyses. Our results suggest that the liana habit, the presence of circadian pollinator trapping, androdioecy, and the dispersal of seeds as single-seeded monocarp fragments are closely correlated with higher diversification rates; pollen aggregation and anther septation, in contrast, are associated with lower diversification rates.


1 June 2012 in Taxon
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Journal Article
Closed access
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DTDaniel C. Thomas
Daniel C. Thomas
SSSiddharthan Surveswaran
Siddharthan Surveswaran
BXBine Xue
Bine Xue
GSGarry Sankowsky
Garry Sankowsky
JMJohan B. Mols
Johan B. Mols
RSRichard Saunders
Richard Saunders