Biology

Dr. Sushma Reddy
Loyola University Chicago University of Minnesota

A substantial portion of the world’s biodiversity is concentrated in just 2% of the land surface of the Earth. Our knowledge of many these areas, especially in the Old World Tropics, is severely limited since many of the species in these regions have not been included in modern studies. Even basic evolutionary questions, such as how this diversity evolved and how many distinct species there are, still need to be addressed. In my research, I take a comparative biogeography approach of examining an entire avifauna of a particular region to gain deeper understanding of how this diversity arose. I will focus on two biodiversity hotspots – Madagascar and the Western Ghats of India. In both, continental and island biogeography dynamics play a role in shaping their avifauna and modern analyses have overturned many traditional ideas. It is an exciting yet challenging time for biodiversity sciences. Evolutionary studies are crucial to conservation decision-making and are urgently needed due to rapid environmental changes.