Dr. Michael McLeish
Contact Details
mcleish@sanbi.org
Leslie Hill Molecular Systematics Laboratory
Kirstenbosch Research Centre
South African National Biodiversity Institute
P/Bag X7
Claremont 7735
South Africa
Tel +27-(0) 21-799-8800
I am particularly interested in comparative studies focused on mechanisms that drive the generation of biodiversity, particularly in the arena of plant/insect coevolution and biogeography. My recent work has been focused primarily on morpho-taxonomy, species delimitation, insect-plant cospeciation, historical biogeography, and resource sharing within Acacia gall-thrips species complexes in arid Australia . A phylogenetic approach allowed molecular discrimination among cryptic types, extension and revision of phylogeny, molecular dating, testing of cospeciation hypotheses, mapping ancestral character states, and inference of historical events at the population-level. I look forward to working in South Africa and contributing to untangling interactions amongst fig wasps and their fig hosts and making inroads into accounting for the phylogenetic diversity represented by this group.
