Kathleen M. Pryer

Professor in the Department of Biology

Office: 
358 Bio Sci Bldg, Durham, NC 27708
Campus Box: 
Box 90338, Durham, NC 27708-0338
Phone: 
(919) 660-7380
My research focuses on understanding the evolutionary relationships of ancient land plants, especially ferns and horsetails, by integrating evidence from morphology, molecules (DNA sequence data from multiple genes), and the fossil record. I use an explicit phylogenetic framework to examine the morphological evolution of various sporophytic and gametophytic characters within vascular plants, and to gain insight into the evolution of various life history traits and the body plans that typify vascular plants. A phylogenetic perspective also informs my molecular evolutionary studies that attempt to elucidate why we observe remarkable rate heterogeneity in chloroplast genes in land plant phylogeny.

Education

  • Ph.D., Duke University 1995

  • M.S., University of Guelph (Canada) 1981

  • B.S., McGill University (Canada) 1976

PRYER, KM, BRITTON, DM, and MCNEILL, J. "A NUMERICAL-ANALYSIS OF CHROMATOGRAPHIC PROFILES IN NORTH-AMERICAN TAXA OF THE FERN GENUS GYMNOCARPIUM." CANADIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY-REVUE CANADIENNE DE BOTANIQUE 61, no. 10 (1983): 2592-2602.

Sarvela, J, Britton, DM, and Pryer, KM. "Studies on the Gymnocarpium robertianum complex in North America." Rhodora 83 (1981): 421-431. (Academic Article)

Chase, R, Pryer, K, Baker, R, and Madison, D. "Responses to conspecific chemical stimuli in the terrestrial snail Achatina fulica (Pulmonata: Sigmurethra)." Behavioral Biology 22, no. 3 (1978): 302-315.

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