LSU Science Café: Botanical Secrets of the Tropical Andes

Despite covering less than 1% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface, the tropical Andes mountains are home to 15% of all flowering plant species. The Andean flora includes major radiations of orchids, bromeliads, and passion flowers, as well as economically important crops, such as tomatoes, potatoes, and quinoa. This botanical abundance resulted from many interacting factors, including dramatic mountain uplift, repeated shifts in hummingbird pollination, and a fluctuating climate over the last two million years. In this talk, you will learn how plant genomes, statistical modeling, and international research collaboration are unlocking the secrets behind the evolution of the most species-rich global biodiversity hotspot. The talk will also showcase plants that were collected in cloud-shrouded Andean forests that are now stored in cabinets as research specimens at LSU’s Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium.

Laura P. Lagomarsino is an associate professor in the LSU Department of Biological Sciences and director of the Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium. Before joining LSU in 2017, she earned a Bachelor of Science from UC Berkeley and a PhD from Harvard University and spent two years as a postdoctoral researcher at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Her lab’s research into the systematics and evolution of Latin American plants is funded by the National Science Foundation. She also co-leads the Louisiana Graduate Network in Applied Evolution, or LAGNiAppE, a postbaccalaureate research training program.

Photo credit: Laura Lagomarsino 

LSU Science Café is presented in partnership with Campus Federal Credit Union and WRKF.

The event is open to the public and advance registration through Eventbrite is recommended.

Please have your registration ticket printed or readily available on your electronic device upon arrival.

Doors open at 5:00 PM. Event begins at 6:00 PM.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Varsity Theatre, 3353 Highland Road, Baton Rouge, United States