Rachel A. Levin

Lecturer

Ph.D., University of Arizona

Phone: 413-585-3880

Office: Sabin-Reed Hall 246

Email: ralevin@email.smith.edu

Courses:

Fall

Bio 155 Biodiversity, Ecology & Conservation Lab

Bio 269 Marine Ecology Lab

Spring

Bio 155 Biodiversity, Ecology & Conservation Lab

Bio 274 Plant-Animal Interactions

Research Interests:

My interests are in evolutionary relationships among species, with a focus on flowering plants.  I ask questions about how a given group of species are related to one another evolutionarily, and then use this framework to address biogeographical and ecological questions.  In particular, I have a great interest in the analysis of floral fragrance and how it relates to both evolutionary relationships among species as well as pollinator affinities.  I especially enjoy being out in the field and appreciating the diversity around us.  I also have interests in conservation biology, particularly in the preservation of the tremendous diversity in the Cape region of South Africa.

My research has spanned a variety of plant diversity, including members of Nyctaginaceae (Four o’clock family), Onagraceae (Evening Primrose family), and Solanaceae (Tomato family).  Current work is focused on understanding relationships among a group of ca. 85 closely related species in the genus Lycium (Solanaceae).  Lycium has a worldwide distribution, and, thus, is quite interesting in terms of biogeography as well as ecology.  I have traveled to various parts of the world to conduct field work on this group of plants, and have taken students involved in this project to southern Africa.  Students in the lab generally use molecular approaches (PCR, cloning, sequencing) combined with phylogenetic analyses of sequence data.

Representative Publications:

Miller, J. S., R. A. Levin, and N. Feliciano. In Press. A Tale of Two Continents: Baker's Rule and the Maintenance of Self-Incompatibility in Lycium (Solanaceae). Evolution.

Levin, R. A., G. Bernardello, A. M. Venter, J. R. Shak*, and J. S. Miller. 2007. Evolutionary relationships in tribe Lycieae (Solanaceae). Proceedings of the VI International Solanaceae Conference. Acta Horticulturae 745: 225-239.

Levin, R. A., N. R. Myers, and L. Bohs. 2006. Phylogenetic relationships among the “spiny solanums” (Solanum subgenus Leptostemonum, Solanaceae). American Journal of Botany 93: 157-169.

Levin, R. A., and J. S. Miller. 2005. Relationships within tribe Lycieae (Solanaceae): Paraphyly of Lycium and multiple origins of gender dimorphism. American Journal of Botany 92: 2044-2053.

Levin, R. A., W. L. Wagner, P. C. Hoch, W. J. Hahn, A. Rodriguez, D. A. Baum, L. Katinas, E. A. Zimmer, and K. J. Sytsma. 2004. Paraphyly in tribe Onagreae: Insights into phylogenetic relationships of Onagraceae based on nuclear and chloroplast sequence data. Systematic Botany 29: 147-164.

Levin, R. A., L. A. McDade, and R. A. Raguso. 2003. The systematic utility of floral and vegetative fragrance in two genera of Nyctaginaceae. Systematic Biology 52: 334-351.

Levin, R. A. 2000. Phylogenetic relationships within Nyctaginaceae tribe Nyctagineae: Evidence from nuclear and chloroplast genomes. Systematic Botany 25: 738-750.