Research Staff

Richard H. Zander
Research Scientist, Bryology Group
Research

office phone: + 1 (314) 577-0276
fax: + 1 (314) 577-9595
email: richard.zander@mobot.org

Missouri Botanical Garden
4344 Shaw Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63110
USA

Education
Ph.D. & M.A., Duke University, 1969, 1967
B.A., Hiram College, 1964

Systematics of bryophytes, particularly Pottiaceae Phylogenetic theory and evolutionary taxonomy Flora of North America (Lead Editor, Vols. 27-29, the bryophyte volumes)

Research Emphases Bryophyte floristics and revisionary study over the past 50 years as led to a re-evaluation of methods for analysis of biodiversity and synthesis of explanatory evolutionary processes: (1) Use of caulograms to model descent with modification on stem-taxon morphological trees. (2) Shannon-Turing sequential Bayesian analysis for evaluation of maximum parsimony and statistical support. (3) Defining the minimally monophyletic group as the genus. (4) Discovery of the Rule of Four and Pareto Fractal Dimension as giving the genus responsibility for macroevolutionary structure. (5) Integrating molecular results with morphology using apophyly-paraphyly pairs. (6) Applying principles of classical mechanics and information theory to plant lineages. (7) Identifying the informational counterpart of biological lineages timewise as the largest living systems.

Selected Publications Zander, R. H. 2008. Evolutionary inferences from non-monophyly on molecular trees. 2008. Taxon 57: 1182-1188. Reprint. Zander, R. H. 2008. Statistical evaluation of the clade "Rhabdoweisiaceae." Bryologist 111: 292-301. Reprint. Zander, R. H. 2007. Nine easy steps for constructing reliable trees from published phylogenetic analyses. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 94: 691-709. 2007. Reprint. When biodiversity study and systematics diverge. Biodiversity 8: 43-48. 2007. Reprint. Zander, R. H. 2007. Results of search for fossil traits in the genome. Bryological Times 121: 7. 2007 (December 2006). Reprint. Zander, R. H. 2006. Initiation of search for fossil traits in the genome. Bryological Times 119: 5-6. 2006 (May 2006). Reprint. The Pottiaceae s.str. as an evolutionary Lazarus taxon. J. Hattori Bot. Lab. 100: 581--602. 2006. Reprint. Reliable phylogenetic resolution of morphological data can be better than that of molecular data. Taxon 52: 109-112. 2003. Reprint. On the Present Revolution. Buffalo Museum of Science Website, June 3, 2002. View. A conditional probability of reconstruction measure for internal cladogram branches. Syst. Biol. 50: 425-437. 2001. Reprint.