Wil Franklin

OBJECTIVE:

I am pursuing a M. A. degree in Botany with the intention of entering a doctoral program in fungal biology. My primary goal is to be an educator with research interests in evolutionary ecology, systematics, and coevolutionary processes.

CURRENT RESEARCH:

All fungi with a toothed hymenophore were traditionally classified in the family Hydnaceae. Contemporary classification schemes have distributed the seven genera of stipitate hydnums, Auriscalpium, Hericium, Hydnum, Hydnellum, Phellodon, Bankera, and Sarcodon, into three different orders, Hericiales, Cantharellales and Thelephorales and five different families, Auriscalpiaceae, Bankeraceae, Hericiaceae, Hydnaceae, and Thelephoraceae. Two genera in the Thelephoraceae, Sarcodon and Hydnellum, are thought to be closely related due to a large suite of homologous characters: such as brown tuberculate spores, lack of sterile hymenial structures and similar hyphal organization. However, species are not clearly differentiated on the basis of these morphological features. To complicate matters, many of the 30 taxa reported occurring in California are uncommon in any given year.

In an attempt to clarify the species concept within this group, I am conducting a morphological and anatomical analysis of fresh collections, as well as, herbaria specimens of taxa of Sarcodon and Hydnellum found in California. In addition, numerical, cladistic and ordination methods will be applied to the data set in an attempt to find phylogenetically important characters and groups.

FUTURE RESEACH INTEREST:

I would like to investigate evolutionary processes which shape and maintain fungal diversity. However, to infer process from pattern the systematics and structure of a group of organisms must be complete and cogent. To that end, I hope to continue systematic work on fungi, with the intent of studying genetic and ecological factors influencing evolutionary processes. As a system for analyzing selection forces, thelephoraceous fungi may prove useful because of the corticoid, hydnoid, and thelephoroid forms. Many other fungal assemblages have similarly useful characteristics and could be used as model systems for this line of research.

INQUIRIES:

If you have any comments or questions, please feel to contact me at: waf1@axe.humboldt.edu