The PEAS lab is based at the University of the Witwatersrand in the vibrant city of Johannesburg, South Africa, but our field sites occur along the Drakensberg, primarily at Sentinel Peak and Platberg in the Free State. We use a combination of genetic and greenhouse approaches to study Polyploid Plant Evolution And Speciation mechanisms in South Africa. Our lab has a strong emphasis on using molecular methods in a conservation and biodiversity planning context. Our work focuses primarily on the evolutionary history of the small near endemic plant genus, Rhodohypoxis. Focusing on this charismatic genus enables us to ask many foundational questions about the genus's evolutionary history and future trajectories, but also build an exciting system to test broader questions about polyploidy, hybridization, and ecology in plant speciation.
