Dr Sam McCarren

Evolutionary ecologist & Pollination biologist

I am an evolutionary ecologist interested in how biodiversity evolves, from deep evolutionary history and phylogenetic relationships to rapid evolutionary change. My research focuses on plant-animal interactions, pollination biology, and the evolution of floral traits, including polymorphisms and their ecological significance.

I combine field observations and experiments with approaches ranging from greenhouse and laboratory experiments to herbarium-based research and phylogenetic and comparative analyses. I am particularly interested in how ecological interactions shape trait variation and how this variation influences evolutionary processes.

Current research

I am currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Cape Town, where I investigate evolutionary diversification in the Erica daphniflora complex, a group of closely related Cape heath species that vary in floral colour and shape. This project combines phylogenomic analyses, micro-CT scanning to study floral structure in three dimensions, and field observations of plants and their pollinators. I am interested in how evolutionary history, geographic separation and ecological interactions have contributed to the diversity of this group.