|
Research in the Hormiga laboratory focuses on the
systematics and
evolutionary biology of spiders, with emphasis on orbweavers and their
close
relatives (Araneoidea). Most of our systematic work at the species
level
addresses three spider lineages: the sheet weaving families Linyphiidae
and
Pimoidae and the orb weaving families Tetragnathidae and Mysmenidae.
Our
research focuses both on phylogenetic reconstruction and taxonomic
work. We use morphological, molecular and behavioral characters to
reconstruct the
phylogenetic relationships of our study organisms, to tackle questions
that
span from species level problems to interrelationships of families. Our
work
highlights the importance of reconstructing the history of evolutionary
changes for addressing comparative questions, such as the evolutionary
patterns of sexual size dimorphism in orbweavers or the patterns of
diversification and biogeography in the Hawaiian archipelago.
|
 |