Evolutionary and biogeographic history of the complex Carduus-Cirsium in the afromontane archipelago

This project seeks to investigate the temporal and geographic origins of the Afromontane and Afroalpine species of the Carduus-Cirsium complex (Compositae, Cardueae), as well as the main drivers of their diversification in the region. This requires the reconstruction of taxonomically well-sampled and well-resolved phylogenies and the application of complex bioinformatic analyses aimed to infer the temporal origin of the studied group, its biogeographic history, the evolution of morphological and ecological traits, and the potential impact of those traits in diversification rates.