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Niklas, Karl Joseph
Liberty Hyde Bailey Professor
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I am a plant evolutionist who uses physics, engineering, and mathematics to understand the relationship between plant form and function and how this relationship has evolved in consort with the physical environment over the course of Earth`s history.
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research overview
- My focus is on plant evolution, particuarly how the shape, size, internal structure and reproductive biology of plants have changed over the course of millions of years of evolution.
research activities
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keywords
- biomechanics
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academic article
- A macroecological analysis of SERA derived forest heights and implications for forest volume remote sensing.. PLoS One. 7. 2012
- Biomass allocation to leaves, stems and roots: meta-analyses of interspecific variation and environmental control.. New Phytologist. 193:30-50. 2012
- Computer simulations support a core prediction of a contentious plant model.. American Journal of Botany. 99:508-516. 2012
- Do plants explore habitats before exploiting them? An explicit test using two soloniferous herbs.. Chinese Science Bulletin. 57:2425-2432. 2012
- Dynamical patterning modules in plant development and evolution.. International Journal of Developmental Biology. 56:661-674. 2012
- Global warming reduces plant reproductive output for temperate multi-inflorescence species on the Tibetan plateau.. New Phytologist. 195:427-436. 2012
- Insights into plant size-density relationships from models and agricultural crops. . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 109:8600-8605. 2012
- Leaf traits and relationships differ with season as well as among species groupings in a managed Southeastern China forest landscape.. Plant Ecology. 213:1489-1502. 2012
- Mechanical properties of wood disproportionately increase with increasing density. . American Journal of Botany. 99:169-170. 2012
- Organ-specific rates of cellular respiration in developing sunflower seedlings and their bearing on metabolic scaling theory.. Protoplasma. 249:1049-1057. 2012
- Plant development, auxin, and the subsystem incompleteness theorem.. Frontiers in Plant Science. 3:1-11. 2012
- Testing the metabolic theory of ecology.. Ecology Letters. 15:1465-1474. 2012
- Testing the packing rule across the twig-petiole interface of temperate woody species.. Trees. 26:1737-1745. 2012
- The effects of domestication on the scaling of below- vs. aboveground biomass in four selected wheat (Triticum; Poaceae) genotypes.. American Journal of Botany. 99:1112-1117. 2012
- Climbing plants: Attachment and the ascent for light. . Current Biology. 21. 2011
- Computer simulations of plant biodiversity in stable and unstable environments: A test of the neutral biodiversity theory. . Journal of Biological Systems. 19. 2011
- Differences in the scaling of area and mass of Ginkgo biloba (Ginkgoaceae) leaves and their relevance to the study of specific leaf area. . American Journal of Botany. 98. 2011
- Important foliar traits depend on species-specific analysis of a remnant temperate forest at the Keerqin Sandy Lands, China. . Plant and Soil. 340. 2011
- Modeling forest self-assembly dynamics using allometric and physical first principles. . BioScience. 61. 2011
- Ontogenetic changes in the scaling of cellular respiration with respect to size among sunflower seedlings. . Plant Signaling and Behavior. 6. 2011
- Patterns of diversity in leaves from canopies of Ginkgo biloba are revealed using Specific Leaf Area as a morphological character. . American Journal of Botany. 98. 2011
- Reproductive effort and success are affected by habitat of Cycas micronesica K. D. Hill. . International Journal of Plant Science. 172. 2011
- The relationship between relative growth rate and whole-plant C:N:P stoichiometry in plant seedlings grown under nutrient-enriched conditions. . Journal of Plant Ecology. 4:147-156. 2011
- Evidence of a general 2/3-power leaf nitrogen to phosphorus scaling among major plant groups and biomes. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B. 277:877-883. 2010
- Ontogenetic changes in the numbers of short- vs. long-shoots account for decreasing specific leaf area in Acer rubrum L. as trees increase in size. American Journal of Botany. 97:27-37. 2010
- Ontogenetic shift in the scaling of dark respiration with whole-plant mass in seven shrub species. Functional Ecology. 24:502-512. 2010
- Size-dependent leaf area ratio in plant twigs: implication for leaf size optimization. Annals of Botany. 105:71-77. 2010
- The evolution of the land plant life cycle. New Phytologist. 185:27-41. 2010
- The metabolic theory of ecology: Prospects and challenges for plant biology. New Phytologist. 188. 2010
- Darwin’s second 'abominable mystery': Why are there so many angiosperm species?. American Journal of Botany. 96:366-381. 2009
- Emergent properties of plants competing in silico for space and light: Seeing the tree from the forest. American Journal of Botany. 98. 2009
- Evolutionary plant physiology: Charles Darwin’s forgotten synthesis. . Naturwissenschaften. 96. 2009
- Functional adaptation and phenotypic plasticity at the cellular and whole plant level. Journal of Biosciences. 36:613-620. 2009
- Predicting the allometry of leaf surface area and mass. American Journal of Botany. 96. 2009
- The effect of twig architecture and seed number on seed size variation in subtropical woody species. New Phytologist. 183:1212-1221. 2009
- The evolutionary development of plant body plans. Functional Plant Biology. 36:682-695. 2009
- Evidence for “diminishing returns” from the scaling of stem diameter and specific leaf area. American Journal of Botany. 95. 2008
- Genetic effects on the biomass partitioning and growth of Pisum and Lycopersicon. American Journal of Botany. 95:424-433. 2008
- Macroevolution via secondary endosymbiosis: A Neo-Goldschmidtian view of unicellular hopeful monsters and Darwin's primordial intermediate form. Theory in Biosciences. 127. 2008
- Sex- and population-differences in the allometry of an endangered cycad species: Cycas micronesica (Cycadales) . International Journal of Plant Sciences. 169. 2008
- A Reevaluation of the Key Factors That Influence Tomato Fruit Softening and Integrity. Plant Physiology. 144:1012-1028. 2007
- Above- and below-ground biomass relationships across 1534 forested communities. Annals of Botany. 99:95-102. 2007
- All creatures, great and small. Biological Theory. 2:200-201. 2007
- Carica papaya: a case study into the effects of domestication on plant vegetative growth and reproduction. American Journal of Botany. 94:999-1002. 2007
- Diminishing returns in function with increasing leaf mass across and within six species-groups. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 104:8894-8896. 2007
- Does the exception prove the rule?. Nature. 445. 2007
- Maximum plant height and the biophysical factors that limit it. Tree Physiology. 27:433-440. 2007
- Metabolic scaling and the evolutionary dynamics of plant size, form and diversity: Toward a synthesis of ecology, evolution and paleontology. International Journal of Plant Biology. 168(S):729-749. 2007
- Photosynthesis research on yellowtops: macroevolution in progress. Theory in Biosciences. 125:81-92. 2007
- Sizing up Life and Death. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 104:15589-15590. 2007
- The epidermal-growth-control theory of stem elongation: an old and new perspective. Plant Physiology. 164:1395-1409. 2007
- A comparison between the record height-to-stem diameter allometries of pachycaulis and leptocaulis species. Annals of Botany. 97:79-85. 2006
- A phyletic perspective on the allometry of plant biomass-partitioning patterns and functionally equivalent organ-categories. New Phytologist. 171:27-40. 2006
- Allometric theory and the mechanical stability of plants: proof and conjecture. American Journal of Botany. 93:874-878. 2006
- Biomass partitioning and leaf N,P–stoichiometry: comparisons between tree and herbaceous current-year shoots. Plant, Cell and Environment. 29:2030-2042. 2006
- Plant allometry, leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry, and interspecific trends in annual growth rates. Annals of Botany. 97:155-163. 2006
- Plant biomechanics: overview and prospectus. American Journal of Botany. 93:1209-1219. 2006
- Scaling the paths of resistance. New Phytologist. 169:219-222. 2006
- Thinking outside of the HOX. Biological Theory. 1:128-129. 2006
- Endosymbiosis, cell evolution, and speciation. Theory in Biosciences. 124:1-24. 2005
- Modelling below- and above-ground biomass for non-woody and woody plants. Annals of Botany. 95:315-321. 2005
- N, P, and C stoichiometry of Eranthis hyemalis (L). Salib. (Ranunculaceae) and the allometry of plant growth. American Journal of Botany. 92:1263-1268. 2005
- Nitrogen/phosphorous leaf stoichiometry and the scaling of plant growth. Ecology Letters. 8:536-642. 2005
- Self-thinning and community persistence in a simple size-structured dynamical model of plant growth. Journal of Mathematical Biology. 51:333-354. 2005
- Biomechanics and Anatomy of Lycopersicon esculentum L.Outer Fruit Walls and Enzyme-Treated Samples.. American Journal of Botany. 93:352-360. 2004
- Biomechanics and anatomy of Lycopersicum esculentum mill. outer fruit walls and enzyme-treated samples. American Journal of Botany. 91:352-360. 2004
- Computer models of early land plant evolution. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 32:45-65. 2004
- Crack resistance of cherry tomato fruits predicted by cuticular membrane thickness. HortScience. 39:1354-1358. 2004
- Does disturbance prevent total basal area and biomass in indigenous forests from being at equilibrium with the local environment?. Journal of Tropical Ecology. 20:595-597. 2004
- Growth and hydraulic (not mechanical) constraints govern the scaling of tree height and mass. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 101:661-663. 2004
- Plant allometry: Is there a grand unifying theory?. Biological Reviews. 79:871-889. 2004
- Plant body plans: unity of type or conditions of existence?. Gravitational and Space Biology Bulletin. 17:133-142. 2004
- Similarities in body size distributions of small-bodied flying vertebrates. Evolutionary Ecology Research. 6:783-797. 2004
- Similarity of mammalian body size across the taxonomic hierarchy and across space and time. American Naturalist. 163:672-691. 2004
- Temperature and water content effects on the viscoelastic behavior of Tilia americana (Tiliaceae) sapwood. Trees -Structure and Function. 18:339-345. 2004
- The cell walls that bind the tree of life. BioScience. 54:831-842. 2004
- The modern theory of biological evolution: an expanded synthesis. Naturwissenshaften. 91:255-276. 2004
- The role of Quaternary environmental change in plant macroevolution: the exception or the rule?. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 359:159-172. 2004
- A general model for mass-growth-density relations across tree-dominated communities. Evolutionary Ecology Research. 5:459-468. 2003
- An allometric model for seed plant reproduction. Evolutionary Ecology Research. 5:79-58. 2003
- On the mechanical properties of the rare endemic cactus Stenocereus eruca and the related species S. gummosus. American Journal of Botany. 90:663-674. 2003
- On the “economy” and “safety” of hollow non-septate peduncles. American Journal of Botany. 90:356-363. 2003
- Reexamination of a canonical model for plant organ biomass partitioning. American Journal of Botany. 90:250-254. 2003
- Size-dependent species richness: trends within plant communities and across latitude. Ecology Letters. 6:631-636. 2003
- The bio-logic and machinery of plant morphogenesis. American Journal of Botany. 90:515-525. 2003
- Thermodynamic and metabolic effects on the scaling of production and population energy use. Ecology Letters. 11:990-995. 2003
- Tree size distributions, plant density, age, and community disturbance. Ecology Letters. 6:405-411. 2003
- Canonical rules for plant organ biomass partitioning and growth allocation. American Journal of Botany. 89:812-819. 2002
- Global allocation rules for patterns of biomass partitioning across seed plants. Science. 295:1517-1520. 2002
- On the allometry of biomass partitioning and light harvesting for plants with leafless stems. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 217:47-52. 2002
- On the vegetative biomass partitioning of seed plant leaves, stems, and roots. American Naturalist. 159:482-497. 2002
- The biomechanics of Pachycereus pringlei root systems. American Journal of Botany. 89:12-21. 2002
- Wind, size, and tree safety. Journal of Arboriculture. 28:84-93. 2002
- Evolutionary trends in safety factors against wind-induced stem failure. American Journal of Botany. 88:36-48. 2001
- Invariant scaling relations across tree-dominated communities. Nature. 410:655-660. 2001
- Invariant scaling relationships for interspecific plant biomass production rates and body size. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 98:2922-2927. 2001
- Taxing debate for taxonomists. Science. 292:2249. 2001
- The relationship between transverse elastic anisotropy and volume fraction of rays in green wood of deciduous trees. Holtzforschung. 55:1-6. 2001
- Computing factors of safety against wind-induced tree stem damage. Journal of Experimental Botany. 51:797-806. 2000
- Response to Klaus Mattheck’s letter. Trees. 15:64-65. 2000
- The evolution of plant body plans –– a biomechanical perspective. Annals of Botany. 85:411-438. 2000
- Wind-induced stresses in cherry trees: Evidence against the hypothesis of constant stress levels. Trees, Structure and Function. 14:230-237. 2000
- Wood biomechanics and anatomy of Pachycereus pringlei. American Journal of Botany. 87:469-481. 2000
- A mechanical perspective on foliage leaf form and function. New Phytologist. 143:19-31. 1999
- Biomechanics of the columnar cactus Pachycereus pringlei. American Journal of Botany. 86:767-775. 1999
- Changes in the factor of safety within the superstructure of a dicot tree. American Journal of Botany. 86:688-696. 1999
- Early plant history: something borrowed, something new? . Science. 285:1673. 1999
- Evolutionary walks through a land plant morphospace. Journal of Experimental Botany. 50:39-52. 1999
- Mechanical behavior of plant tissues: Composite materials or structures? . Journal of Experimental Biology. 202:3269-3272. 1999
- Methods for calculating factors of safety for plant stems. Journal of Experimental Biology. 202:3273-3280. 1999
- Non-parametric statistical formulas for factors of safety of plant stems. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 197:135-147. 1999
- The mechanical role of bark. American Journal of Botany. 86:465-469. 1999
- Variations of the mechanical properties of Acer saccharum roots. Journal of Experimental Biology. 50:193-200. 1999
- What’s so special about flowers?. Natural History. 5/99:42-44. 1999
- A statistical approach to biological factors of safety: bending and shearing in Psilotum axes. Annals of Botany. 82:177-187. 1998
- Effects of vibration on mechanical properties and biomass allocation pattern of Capsella bursa-pastoris (Cruciferae). Annals of Botany. 82:147-156. 1998
- Modes of mechanical failure of hollow, septate stems. Annals of Botany. 81:11-21. 1998
- Preferential states of longitudinal tension in the outer tissues of Taraxacum officinale (Asteraceae) peduncles. American Journal of Botany. 85:1068-1081. 1998
- Stem biomechanics of three columnar cacti from the Sonoran desert. American Journal of Botany. 85:1082-1090. 1998
- The influence of gravity and wind on land plant evolution. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 102:1-14. 1998
- The mechanical roles of clasping leaf sheaths: Evidence from Arundinaria técta (Poaceae) shoots subjected to bending and twisting forces. Annals of Botany. 81:23-34. 1998
- Adaptive walks through fitness landscapes for early vascular land plants. American Journal of Botany. 84:16-25. 1997
- Effects of hypothetical developmental barriers and abrupt environmental changes on adaptive walks in a computer-generated domain for early vascular land plants. Paleobiology. 23:63-76. 1997
- Mechanical properties of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) wood: Correlations among elastic and rupture moduli, proportional limit, and tissue density and specific gravity. Annals of Botany. 79:479-485. 1997
- Mechanical properties of black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) wood. Size- and age-dependent variations in sap- and heartwood. Annals of Botany. 79:265-272. 1997
- Relative resistance of hollow, septate internodes to twisting and bending. Annals of Botany. 80:275-287. 1997
- Responses of hollow septate stems to vibrations: biomechanical evidence that nodes can act mechanically as spring-like joints. Annals of Botany. 80:437-448. 1997
- Size- and age-dependent variations in the properties of sap- and heartwood in black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). Annals of Botany. 79:473-478. 1997
- The role of the epidermis as a stiffening agent in Tulipa (Liliaceae) stems. American Journal of Botany. 84:735-744. 1997
- Differences between Acer saccharum leaves from open and wind-protected sites. Annals of Botany. 78:61-66. 1996
- Effects of Rht-dosage on the breaking strength of wheat seedling leaves. American Journal of Botany. 83:567-572. 1996
- How to build a tree. Natural History. 105:48-52. 1996
- Plant height and the properties of some herbaceous stems. Annals of Botany. 75:133-142. 1995
- Size-dependent allometry of tree height, diameter and trunk-taper. Annals of Botany. 75:217-227. 1995
- Theories of optimization, form and function in branching architectures in plants. Functional Ecology. 9:355-363. 1995
- Comparisons among biomass allocation and spatial distribution patterns for some vine, pteridophyte, and gymnosperm shoots. American Journal of Botany. 81:416-421. 1994
- Interspecific allometries of critical buckling height and actual plant height. American Journal of Botany. 81:1275-1279. 1994
- Morphological evolution through complex domains of fitness. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 91:6772-6779. 1994
- One giant step for life. Natural History. 103:22-25. 1994
- Predicting the height of fossil plant remains: an allometric approach to an old problem. American Journal of Botany. 81:1235-1242. 1994
- Simulation of organic shape: the roles of phenomenology and mechanism. Journal of Morphology. 219:243-246. 1994
- Size-dependent variations in plant growth rates and the “3/4-power rule.” . American Journal of Botany. 81:134-144. 1994
- The allometry of safety-factors for plant height. American Journal of Botany. 81:345-351. 1994
- The allometry of saguaro height. American Journal of Botany. 81:1161-1168. 1994
- The quantification of plant biodiversity through time. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, London B. 345:35-44. 1994
- The scaling of plant and animal body mass, length, and diameter. Evolution. 48:44-54. 1994
- Allocation of organ biomass in perfect and imperfect flowers. Annals of Botany. 72:475-483. 1993
- Influence of tissue-density specific mechanical properties on the scaling of plant height. Annals of Botany. 72:173-179. 1993
- Ontogenetic-response models and the evolution of plant size. Evolutionary Trends in Plants. 7:43-49. 1993
- Testing "economy in design" in plants: are the petioles and rachises of leaves "designed" according to the principle of uniform strength. Annals of Botany. 71:33-41. 1993
- The allometry of plant reproductive biomass and stem diameter. American Journal of Botany. 80:461-467. 1993
- The scaling of plant height: a comparison among major plant clades and anatomical grades. Annals of Botany. 72:165-172. 1993
- Xylem vascular anatomy and water transport of Salicornia europaea. Annals of Botany. 45:325-339. 1993
- Gravity-induced effects on material properties and size of leaves on horizontal shoots of Acer saccharum (Aceraceae). American Journal of Botany. 79:820-827. 1992
- Petiole mechanics, light interception by lamina, and economy in design. Oecologia. 90:518-526. 1992
- Taper of some early Palaeozoic plants. The Palaeobotanist. 41:58-66. 1992
- Voigt and Reuss models for predicting changes in Young's modulus of dehydrating plant organs. Annals of Botany. 70:347-355. 1992
- Bending stiffness of cylindrical plant organs with a "core–rind" construction: evidence from Juncus effusus. American Journal of Botany. 78:561-568. 1991
- Biomechanical attributes of the leaves of pine species. Annals of Botany. 68:253-262. 1991
- Biomechanical responses of Chamaedorea and Spathiphyllum petioles to tissue dehydration. Annals of Botany. 67:67-76. 1991
- Effects of tissue volume and location on the mechanical consequences of dehydration of petioles. American Journal of Botany. 78:361-369. 1991
- Flexural stiffness allometries of angiosperm and fern petioles and rachises: evidence for biomechanical convergence. Evolution. 45:734-750. 1991
- The elastic moduli and mechanics of Populus tremuloides (Salicaceae) petioles in bending and torsion. American Journal of Botany. 78:989-996. 1991
- A reevaluation of the zosterophyllophytina with comments on the origin of lycopods. American Journal of Botany. 77:274-283. 1990
- Biomechanical and morphometric differences in Triticum aestivum seedlings differing in Rht gene-dosage. Annals of Botany. 65:365-377. 1990
- Biomechanics of Psilotum nudum and some early Paleozoic vascular sporophytes. American Journal of Botany. 72:590-606. 1990
- Determinate growth of Allium sativum peduncles: evidence of determinate growth as a design factor for biomechanical safety. American Journal of Botany. 77:762-771. 1990
- Safety factors in vertical stems: evidence from Equisetum hyemale. Evolution. 43:1625-1636. 1990
- The mechanical significance of clasping leaf sheaths in grasses: Evidence from two cultivars of Avena sativa. Annals of Botany. 65:505-512. 1990
- Aerodynamics of Ephedra trifurca. III. Selective pollen capture by pollination droplets. Botanical Gazette. 150:122-131. 1989
- Extracellular freezing in Equisetum hyemale. American Journal of Botany. 76:627-631. 1989
- Mechanical behavior of plant tissues as inferred from the theory of pressurized cellular solids. American Journal of Botany. 76:929-937. 1989
- Nodal septa and the rigidity of aerial shoots of Equisetum hyemale. American Journal of Botany. 76:521-531. 1989
- Physiological and morphological modifications of Plantago major (Plantaginaceae) in response to light conditions. American Journal of Botany. 76:370-382. 1989
- The cellular mechanics of plants. American Scientist. 77:344-349. 1989
- The effect of leaf-lobing on the interception of direct solar radiation. Oecologia. 89:59-64. 1989
- A morphometric analysis of the phloem-unloading pathway in developing tobacco leaves. Planta. 176:307-318. 1988
- Aerobiology and pollen capture of orchard-grown Pistacia vera (Anacardiaceae). American Journal of Botany. 75:1813-1829. 1988
- Branching patterns of Salicornia europaea (Chenopodiaceae) at different successional stages: a comparison of theoretical and real plants. American Journal of Botany. 75:501-512. 1988
- Dependency of the tensile modulus on transverse dimensions, water, potential, and cell number of pith parenchyma. American Journal of Botany. 75:1286-1292. 1988
- Equations for the motion of airborne pollen grains near the ovulate organs of wind-pollinated plants. American Journal of Botany. 75:433-444. 1988
- Flexural Stiffness and Modulus of Elasticity of Flower Stalks from Allium Sativum as Measured by Multiple Resonance Frequency-Spectra. American Journal of Botany. 75:1517-1525. 1988
- Flexural stiffness and modulus of elasticity of flower stalks from Allium sativum as measured by multiple resonance frequency spectra. American Journal of Botany. 75:1517-1525. 1988
- Patterns of vascular plant diversification in the fossil record: proof and conjecture. Annals Missouri Botanical Garden. 75:35-54. 1988
- Physiological and morphological modifications of Plantago major L. (Plantaginaceae) in response to light conditions. American Journal of Botany. 76:370-382. 1988
- The role of phyllotactic pattern as a "Developmental Constraint" on the interception of light by leaf surfaces. Evolution. 42:1-16. 1988
- Adaptation, plant evolution, and the fossil record. Review of Paleobotany and Palynology. 50:127-149. 1987
- Aerodynamics of wind pollination. Scientific American. 255:90-95. 1987
- Computer program for three-dimensional reconstructions and numerical analyses of plant organs from serial sections. American Journal of Botany. 74:1595-1599. 1987
- Flexural rigidity of chive and its response to water potential. American Journal of Botany. 74:1033-1044. 1987
- Pollen capture and wind-induced movement of compact and diffuse grass panicles: Implications for pollination efficiency. American Journal of Botany. 74:74-89. 1987
- The aerodynamics of pollen capture in two sympatric Ephedra species. Evolution. 41:104-123. 1987
- Aerodynamics of Ephedra trifurca. I. Pollen grain velocity fields around stems bearing ovules. American Journal of Botany. 73:966-999. 1986
- Aerodynamics of Ephedra trifurca. II. Computer modelling of pollination efficiencies. Journal of Mathematical Biology. 24:1-24. 1986
- Computer-simulated plant evolution. Scientific American. 254:78-86. 1986
- Evolution of plant shape: design constraints. Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 1:67-72. 1986
- The role of beetles in the pollination of Zamia furfuracea L. fil. (Zamiaceae). Biotropica. 18:300-306. 1986
- Aerodynamics of wind pollination in Simmondsia chinensis (Link) Schneider. American Journal of Botany. 72:530-539. 1985
- Evidence for xylem constrictions in the primary vasculature of Psilophyton dawsonii, an Emsian trimerophyte. American Journal of Botany. 72:674-685. 1985
- Paleobiochemistry of a North American fossil Liriodendron sp. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology. 13:1-4. 1985
- The aerodynamics of wind pollination. Botanical Review. 51:328-386. 1985
- The evolution of tracheid diameter in early vascular plants and its implications on the hydraulic conductance of the primary xylem strand. Evolution. 39:1110-1122. 1985
- Wind Pollination –– A study in controlled chaos. American Scientist. 73:462-470. 1985
- Wind pollination of Taxus cuspidata. American Journal of Botany. 72:1-13. 1985
- Aerobiology of Symplocarpus foetidus: Interactions between the spathe and spadix. American Journal of Botany. 71:843-850. 1984
- Aerodynamics and pollen grain depositional patterns on cycad megastrobili: Implications on the reproduction of three Cycad genera (Cycas, Dioon, Zamia). Botanical Gazette. 145:92-104. 1984
- Character diversification and patterns of evolution in early vascular plants. Paleobiology. 10:34-47. 1984
- Mechanical photosynthetic constraints on the evolution of plant shape. Paleobiology. 10:79-101. 1984
- Size-related changes in the primary xylem anatomy of some early tracheophytes. Paleobiology. 10:487-506. 1984
- The motion of windborne pollen grains around conifer ovulate cones: Implications on wind pollination. American Journal of Botany. 71:356-374. 1984
- Conifer ovulate cone morphology: implications on pollen impaction patterns. American Journal of Botany. 70:568-577. 1983
- Early seed plant wind pollination studies: a reply. Taxon. 32:99-100. 1983
- Evidence for a conducting strand in early Silurian (Llandoverian) plants: Implications for the evolution of land plants. Paleobiology. 9:126-137. 1983
- Organelle preservation and protoplast partitioning in fossil angiosperm leaf tissues. American Journal of Botany. 70:543-548. 1983
- Patterns in vascular land plant diversification. Nature. 303:614-616. 1983
- The influence of Paleozoic ovule and cupule morphologies on wind pollination. Evolution. 37:968-986. 1983
- Computer simulations of early land plant branching morphologies: Canalization of patterns during evolution? . Paleobiology. 8:196-210. 1982
- Differential preservation of protoplasm in fossil angiosperm leaf tissues. American Journal of Botany. 69:325-334. 1982
- Growth patterns of plants that maximize vertical growth and minimize internal stresses. American Journal of Botany. 69:1367-1374. 1982
- Pollination and airflow patterns around conifer ovulate cones. Science. 217:442-444. 1982
- Preservation of unsaturated fatty acids in Palaeogene angiosperm fruits and seeds. Nature. 296:63-64. 1982
- Simulated and empiric wind pollination patterns of conifer ovulate cones. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 79:510-514. 1982
- Airflow patterns around some early seed plant ovules and cupules: implications concerning efficiency in wind pollination. American Journal of Botany. 68:635-650. 1981
- Comparative paleobiochemistry of some fossil and extant Fagaceae. American Journal of Botany. 68:762-770. 1981
- Paleophytochemistry: Implications concerning plant evolution. Paleobiology. 7:1-3. 1981
- Relationships among shoot apical meristem ontogenic features in Trichocereus pachanoi and Melocactus matanzanus (Cactaceae). American Journal of Botany. 68:101-106. 1981
- Simulated wind pollination and airflow around ovules of some early seed plants. Science. 211:275-277. 1981
- Some chemophysical factors attending fossilization. BioScience. 31:148-149. 1981
- The chemistry of fossil plants. BioScience. 31:820-825. 1981
- Ultrastructural and paleobiochemical correlations among fossil leaf tissues from the St. Maries River (Clarkia) area, Northern Idaho USA. American Journal of Botany. 68:332-341. 1981
- Evidence for lignin-like constituents in Early Silurian (Llandoverian) Plant Fossils. Science. 209:396-397. 1980
- Simulations of cell dimensions in shoot apical meristems: Implications concerning zonate apices. American Journal of Botany. 67:715-732. 1980
- An assessment of chemical features for the classification of plant fossils. Taxon. 28:505-516. 1979
- Constancy of relative volumes of zones in shoot apical meristems of Cactaceae: implications concerning meristem size, shape, and metabolism. American Journal of Botany. 66:933-939. 1979
- Information, entropy, and the evolution of living systems. Brittonia. 31:428-430. 1979
- Parameters in assessing geochemical studies of fossil angiosperms. International Association of Angiosperm Paleobotany. 5:1-5. 1979
- Phanerozoic land plant diversity in North America. Science. 206:1400-1402. 1979
- Simulations of apical developmental sequences in bryophytes. Annals of Botany. 44:339-352. 1979
- Angiosperm paleobiochemistry of the Succor Creek Flora (Miocene) Oregon, USA. American Journal of Botany. 65:943-952. 1978
- Branching patterns and mechanical design in Paleozoic plants: A theoretic assessment. Annals of Botany. 42:33-39. 1978
- Chemotaxonomy of some Paleozoic vascular plants. Part III. Cluster configurations and their bearing on taxonomic relationships. Brittonia. 30:216-232. 1978
- Coupled evolutionary rates and the fossil record. Brittonia. 30:373-394. 1978
- Phytochemistry. Taxon. 26:361-385. 1978
- Ultrastructure and cytochemistry of Miocene angiosperm leaf tissues. Proceedings at the National Academy of Science USA. 75:3263-3267. 1978
- Applications of finite element analyses to problems in plant morphology. Annals of Botany. 41:133-153. 1977
- Chemotaxonomy of some Paleozoic vascular plants. Part II: Chemical characterization of major plant groups. Brittonia. 29:100-111. 1977
- Flavonoids and other chemical constituents of fossil Miocene Celtis and Ulmus (Succor Creek Flora). Science. 197:765-767. 1977
- Flavonoids and other chemical constituents of fossil Miocene Zelkova (Ulmaceae). Science. 196:877-878. 1977
- Geochemistry and thermolysis of flavonoids. Science. 197:767-769. 1977
- Ontogenetic constructions of some fossil plants. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 23:337-357. 1977
- Theoretical evolutionary rates in plant groups and the fossil record. Brittonia. 29:241-254. 1977
- Chemical examination of some non-vascular Paleozoic plants. Brittonia. 28:113-137. 1976
- Chemotaxonomy of Parka decipiens from the Lower Old Red Sandstone, Scotland (U.K.). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 21:205-217. 1976
- Chemotaxonomy of Prototaxites and evidence for possible terrestrial adaptation. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 22:1-17. 1976
- Chemotaxonomy of some Paleozoic vascular plants. Part I: chemical compositions and preliminary cluster analyses. Brittonia. 28:353-378. 1976
- Chemotaxonomy of some problematic Palaeozoic plant fossils. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 22:81-104. 1976
- Morphological and chemical examination of Courvoisiella ctenomorpha gen. and sp. nov., a siphonous alga from the Upper Devonian, West Virginia, U.S.A. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 21:187-203. 1976
- Morphological and ontogenetic reconstruction of Parka decipiens Fleming and Pachytheca Hooker from the Lower Old Red Sandstone, Scotland. Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. 69:483-499. 1976
- Morphology and paleoecology of Protosalvinia from the Upper Devonian (Famennian) of the Middle Amazon Basin of Brazil. Paleontographica. 155B:1-30. 1976
- Morphology of Protosalvinia from the Upper Devonian of Ohio and Kentucky. American Journal of Botany. 63:9-29. 1976
- Organic chemistry of Protosalvina (=Foerstia) from the Chattanooga and New Albany Shales. Review of Paleobotany and Palnology. 22:265-279. 1976
- Plant evolution and the reciprocity model. Annals of Botany. 40:1255-1276. 1976
- Simulations of the ontogeny of Spongiophyton, a Devonian plant. Annals of Botany. 40:1-11. 1976
- The role of morphological-biochemical reciprocity in early land plant evolution. Annals of Botany. 40:1239-1254. 1976
- Morphology and vertical distribution of Protosalvinia (Foerstia) from the New Albany Shale (Upper Devonian). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynolology. 14:171-196. 1972
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article
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book
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booksection
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chapter
- Long term fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 concentration influence plant speciation rates. . Climate Change, Ecology and Systematics. 122-140. 2011
- Deducing plant function from organic form: challenges and pitfalls. Form and Function in Developmental Evolution. 47-82. 2009
- The morphological tradition in German paleontology: Otto Jaekel, Walter Zimmermann, and Otto Schindewolf. The Paleobiological Revolution: Essays on the Growth of Modern Paleontology. 279-300. 2009
- Carbon/nitrogen/phosphorus allometric relations across species. Ecophysiology of Plant-Phosphorus Interactions. 9-30. 2008
- Embryo morphology and seedling evolution. Seedling Ecology and Evolution. 2008
- Life's evolutionary history: Is it determinate or indeterminate?. The Deep Structure of Biology: Is Convergence Sufficiently Ubiquitous to Give a Directional Signal?. 32-45. 2008
- Plant Life-Forms. Encyclopedia of Ecology. 2160-2167. 2008
- Modeling optimization and early land plant evolution. Modeling Biology: Structures, Behaviors, and Evolution. 305-334. 2007
- Morphogenesis and Biomechanics: The roles of mechanical perturbation and other environmental stresses in plant development and evolution. Evolving Form and Function: Fossils and development. 25-42. 2005
- The evolution of plant body plans and allometry. Key Concepts and Approaches in Evolutionary Developmental Biology. 124-132. 2003
- Modeling fossil plant form-function relationships: a critique. Deep Time, Paleobiology. 289-304. 2000
- The evolution of leaf form and function. Leaf Development and Canopy Growth. 1-35. 2000
- The mechanical stability of vertical stems. The Evolution of Plant Architecture. 377-397. 1999
- Light harvesting "fitness landscapes" for vertical shoots with different phyllotactic patterns. Symmetry in Plants. Series in Mathematical Biology and Medicine. 759-773. 1998
- Continental area, dispersion, latitudinal distribution and topographic variety: A test of correlation with terrestrial plant diversity. Causes of Evolution, a Paleontological Perspective. 76-102. 1990
- Biophysical limitations on plant form and evolution. Plant Evolutionary Biology. 185-220. 1988
- Clonal growth in land plants: A paleobotanical perspective. Population Biology and Evolution of Clonal Organisms. 35-66. 1985
- Patterns in vascular land plant diversification: An analysis at the species level. Phanerozoic Diversity Patterns. 97-128. 1985
- The paleobiochemistry of fossil angiosperm floras. Part I. Chemosystematic aspects. Late Cenozoic History of the Pacific Northwest. 161-174. 1985
- The paleobiochemistry of fossil angiosperm floras. Part II. Diagenesis of organic compounds with particular reference to steroids. Late Cenozoic History of the Pacific Northwest. 175-183. 1985
- Ultrastructural states of preservation in Clarkia angiosperm leaf tissues: Implications on modes of preservation. Late Cenozoic History of the Pacific Northwest. 143-159. 1985
- Evolutionary Processes. Chapter 5. The Evolution of Complex and Higher Organisms. 1984
- Chemical diversification and evolution of plants as inferred from Paleobiochemical studies. Biochemical Aspects of Evolutionary Biology. 29-92. 1982
- A discussion of "Vicariance biogeography of angiosperms in relation to paleobotanical data.". Vicariance Biogeography: A critique. 428-435. 1981
- Implications on pre- and post-depositional environments of ultrastructural-biochemical correlations in fossil angiosperm leaf tissues. Organic Maturation Studies and Fossil Fuel Exploration. 111-144. 1981
- Research Trends. Trends, Priorities and Needs in Systematic Biology. 51. 1981
- Apparent changes in the diversity of fossil plants: A preliminary assessment. Evolutionary Biology. 1-89. 1980
- Paleobiochemical techniques and their applications to paleobotany. Progress in Phytochemistry. 143-182. 1980
- The chemistry of fossils: Biochemical stratigraphy of fossil plants. Biostratigraphy of fossil plants. 227-250. 1980
- Morphometric relationships and rate of evolution among Paleozoic vascular plants. Evolutionary Biology. 509-543. 1978
- IV. Phytochemistry. Pakaraimoideae, Dipterocarpaceae of the Western Hemisphere. 1977
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conference paper
- A phyletic perspective on the allometry of plant biomass-partitioning patterns and functionally equivalent organ-categories. Proceedings of the Fifth Plant Biomechanics Conference. 3-12. 2006
- Wind, size, and tree safety. How Trees Stand Up and Fall Down. Tree Structure and Mechanics Conference Proceedings. 2002
- Inferring function from form: proof and conjecture. Plant Biomechanics 2000. 21-28. 2000
- Biomechanics and the adaptive significance of multicellularity in plants. The Unity of Evolutionary Biology. Proceedings of the Fourth International Congress of Systematics and Evolutionary Biology. 489-502. 1991
- Large-scale changes in animal and plant terrestrial communities. Patterns and Processes in the History of the Life (Report of the Dahlem Workshop on Patterns and Processes in the History of Life, Berlin 1985.). 383-405. 1986
- Exinite chemodiagenesis and spore wall compressional failure. IV. International Palynological Conference. 597-609. 1980
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document part
- Darwin’s second “Abominable Mystery” What are there so many angiosperm species. 560. 2008
- Finite element analyses of palm leaf petiole-sheath junctions in simple bending and twisting and in dynamic flexure. 40. 2001
- The evolution and allometry of plant body plans. 25. 2001
- Factors of safety in plants 1999
- Graft union strength in apple trees. 450. 1999
- Mechanical behavior of plant tissues ––Composite materials of structures? 1999
- A statistical approach to mechanical factors of safety. 16. 1998
- Disturbance and plant fitness-landscape topologies. 37. 1998
- A biomimetic model for early land plant evolution. 139. 1997
- The mechanical behavior of hollow internodes in bending and twisting. 51-52. 1997
- Functionally adaptive differences between leaves from windy and protected sites. 47. 1996
- Extinction and diversification rates of Phanerozoic tracheophytes. 89. 1995
- Adaptive walks through complex domains of plant shape. 98-99. 1994
- An allometric approach to predicting the height of fossil plants. 99. 1994
- Morphological evolution through complex domains of fitness 1994
- The allometry of vines. 30. 1994
- Thigmomorphogenesis: Developmental responses to mechanical perturbation. 7. 1994
- Scaling of plant height H and density specific tissue properties to stem diameter D. 32. 1993
- Biomechanics and the Adaptive Significance of Multicellularity in Plants. 209. 1990
- Mechanical behavior of plant tissues and other pressurized solids. 20. 1989
- Reevaluation of the Zosterophyllophytina with comments on the origins of the lycopods. 158. 1989
- Statistical Relations between Plant Diversity and Geographic changes in the Geologic Past. 175-176. 1989
- Computers in the biological environment, applications and limitations. 15-16. 1988
- Hydraulic architecture and water relations of Sakicornia europaea L. 25. 1988
- Multiple resonance frequency spectra. A new technique for determining the biomechanical properties of plant tissues. 40-41. 1988
- Light-interception of computer simulated plants in relation to phyllotaxy. 622. 1987
- Biomechanical responses of chive, Allium schoenoprasnum var. schoenoprasnum, leaves to changes in water potential. 636-637. 1986
- Computer simulations of branching patterns and their implications on the evolution of plants 1986
- Wind pollination in two sympatric species of Ephedra. 674. 1986
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report
- Plant communities, evolution of 2001
- Mechanical plant design 1999
featured in archived article
Teaching
teaching overview
- Most of my teaching activities are directed toward undergraduate education. I sincerely love to teach students and I enjoy working with them, both in a lecture or laboratory environment
teaching activities
- BIOPL-4480: Plant Evolution and the Fossil Record - Spring 2013
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Spring 2013
- BIOPL-2410: Introductory Plant Biodiversity and Evolution - Fall 2012
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Fall 2012
- BIOPL-4480: Plant Evolution and the Fossil Record - Spring 2012
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Spring 2012
- BIOPL-2410: Introductory Plant Biodiversity and Evolution - Fall 2011
- BIOPL-7490: Graduate Research in Botany - Fall 2011
Service
service to the profession
- Scientific Advisory Committee, Mathematical Biosciences Institute Committee Member 2008 - 2011
- Strategic Planning Committee, Botanical Society of America Committee Member 2008 - 2009
- Botanical Society of America Officer, President/Elect/Past 2007 - 2009
- Science Advisory Board, National Geographic Society (Hidden Universe) Board of Advisors 2007 - 2009
- Science Advisory Board, Sea Studios, Inc., WNET Projects Board Member 2006 - 2007
- Botanical Society of America Centenary Planning Committee Committee Member 2003 - 2006
- European Geoscience Union, organizing committee Committee Member - 2006
- Botanical Society of America Publications Committee Committee Member 1999 - 2005
- Botanical Society of America Web-page Committee Committee Member 2003 - 2004
- Partridge Films Scientific Advisor 1998 - 2001
- AI-SPER-0203DF692AB000108FE Chairperson - 2000
- Scientific Committee, 3rd Plant Biomechanics Conference Committee Member - 2000
- Botanical Society of America, AJB TaskForce Committee Committee Member 1997 - 1999
- NHK and the Discovery Channel Senior Scientific Advisor 1994 - 1995
- BSA Steering Committee: Botany for the Next Millennium Committee Member 1993 - 1995
- BSA Pelton Award Committee Chairperson - 1993
- BSA Pelton Award Committee Committee Member 1991 - 1992
reviewer or editor for
Background
education and training
- Ph.D. in Paleobotany, University of Illinois 1974
- M.S. in Botany, University of Illinois 1971
- B.S. in Mathematics, The City College of the City of New York 1970
awards and honors
- Elected Fellow, 2014
- Named one of the best 300 professors in the USA, 2012
- Award of Merit, 2008
- Centennial Medal, 2006
- Visiting Senior Scientist, 2006
- Visiting Erskine Fellowship, 2004
- Annual Annals of Botany Lecture, 2004
- Who's Who in Agriculture Higher Education, 2003
- The Jeanette Siron Pelton Award, 2002
- Liberty Hyde Bailey Professorship, 2000
- Fellow, 2000
- First Japanese Annals of Botany Lecture, 1999
- Alexander von Humboldt Forschungspreis for Senior Distinguished USA Scientists, 1998
- Gamma Sigma Delta, Honorary Membership, 1998
- Merit Award, 1996
- SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching, 1995
- Michael A. Cichan Award, 1993
- John Simon Guggenheim Fellow, 1985
- George Gaylord Simpson Prize, 1982
- Fulbright-Hayes Fellow; post-doctoral research, 1975
- Isebelle Cookson Award, 1973
- Woodrow Wilson Fellow, 1970
- Paul Bateson Award, 1970
Other
college
- CALS
research keyword
- biomechanics