About me

Introduction

This website is maintained by Ryan Folk. I have just finished doctoral studies at the Ohio State University, under John Freudenstein. My training was in plant systematics, and my doctoral work broadly incorporates classical morphological aspects with molecular work and model-based analyses. Products of my research range from species descriptions to higher-level phylogenetic studies. My study system is a charming medium-sized genus of plants, Heuchera, commonly called coral bells or alum roots, a group that has recently attracted a great deal of horticultural interest and is known in science primarily for historical gene flow between species.

I am currently engaged in a new position at the University of Florida, working with Doug and Pam Soltis, and Rob Guralnick. A new future direction for my research is the examination of ecological niche in a phylogenetic context using the Saxifragales (the taxonomic order containing Heuchera, as well as currants, peonies, sweet gum, witch hazel, and other familiar plants). An aspect of this research still involves Heuchera -- specifically, testing whether climate change or greater ancestral niche overlap enabled some of the wild patterns of hybridization that occurred in the genus.

Requests for PDF reprints should be directed to folk [dot] 41 [at] osu [dot] edu, or to my account on ResearchGate.

Publications

In process

Folk, R.A., J.R. Mandel, and J.V. Freudenstein. Accepted. Ancestral gene flow and parallel organellar genome capture result in extreme phylogenomic discord in a lineage of angiosperms. Systematic Biology.

In print

Folk, R.A., J.R. Mandel, and J.V. Freudenstein. 2015. A protocol for targeted enrichment of intron-containing sequence markers for recent radiations: A phylogenomic example from Heuchera (Saxifragaceae). Applications in Plant Sciences 3(8): 1500039.

Folk R. and P.J. Alexander. 2015. Two new species, Heuchera soltisii and H. inconstans, with further taxonomic notes for the western group of Heuchera section Heuchera (Saxifragaceae). Systematic Botany 40(2): 489–500.

Folk, R.A. and J.V. Freudenstein. 2015. "Sky islands" in the eastern U.S.A.? – Strong phylogenetic structure in the Heuchera parviflora group (Saxifragaceae). Taxon 64(2): 254-271.

Folk, R.A. and J.V. Freudenstein. 2014. Phylogenetic Relationships in the genus Heuchera L. (Saxifragaceae) on the basis of nuclear loci. American Journal of Botany 101(9): 1532-1550.

Folk, R.A. and J.V. Freudenstein. 2014. Revision of Heuchera section Rhodoheuchera subsections Hemsleyanae and Rosendahliae subsectio nova (Saxifragaceae). Systematic Botany 39(3): 850-874.

Folk, R. 2013. Heuchera lakelae (Saxifragaceae), a new species from the Sierra La Marta and Sierra Coahuilón, Coahuila and Nuevo León, Mexico. Phytotaxa 124(1): 37- 42.

Ongoing projects

Phylogenomic studies in Heuchera

This project uses large amounts of sequencing data, obtained by Next-Generation target capture methods, to improve the species tree framework published in the American Journal of Botany, and to explore patterns of hybridization in the genus using gene tree comparison methods. The NSF is acknowledged for funding, and the Mandel Lab (University of Memphis) graciously facilitated me as a visiting researcher to execute wet lab work. A protocol has been published, and a contribution on the detection of hybridization is due to appear presently.

Me at a sequencer:

Some recent pictures (spring 2014) of my plants in the cold greenhouse (this collection is now considerably downsized and unfortunately will not flower in Florida):