Anne-Laure Decombeix
Post-doctoral fellow
Department of Ecology & Evolutionnary Biology -- Division of Paleobotany
the University of Kansas, 1200 Sunnyside Ave.-Haworth Hall
Lawrence, KS 66045-7534, U.S.A.
aldecomb[at]ku.edu
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. Paleontology, Paleobiology, Phylogeny -- UMR AMAP / Université Montpellier 2, France, 2007. Abstract & pdf
- M.Sc. Paleontology, Paleobiology, Phylogeny -- Université Montpellier 2, 2004.
- B.Sc. Biology of Organisms, Populations & Ecosystems -- Université Toulouse 3, 2002.
RESEARCH INTERESTS & CURRENT PROJECTS
My work is mostly focussed on the evolution of the tree habit and the functional and systematic significance of vegetative characters among the lignophytes. This clade includes the progymnosperms and the seed plants (gymnosperms & angiosperms).
- Arborescent lignophytes during the Devonian and Mississippian (Early Carboniferous).
This period sees the appearance of the lignophytes and the diversification of their vegetative and reproductive structures. Aspects of this research includes investigation of the diversity of lignophytes trees observed both in Gondwana and Laurussia around the D/C boundary, analyses of the morpho-anatomical disparity of these trees through time, and phylogenetic analyses based mostly on vegetative characters
- Seed plants from the Permian and Triassic of Antarctica.
During these time periods a number of unusual seed plant groups evolved, several of which have been implicated as possible ancestors of the flowering plants (angiosperms). Current projects include the study of the development and architecture of Glossopteridales roots, the description of a new Triassic ovule and of Triassic trunks with preserved bark.
Recent publications
-- -- "Ed." = full text - editor version -- --2009/in press
- Meyer-Berthaud B., Soria A. & Decombeix A.-L.,
The land plant cover in the Devonian: a reassessment of the evolution of the tree habit.
In "The terrestrialization process: Modelling complex interactions at the biosphere-geosphere interface", M. Vecoli, G. Clément, B. Meyer-Berthaud (eds). Geological Society of London, Special Publication (in press)- Decombeix A.-L., Taylor E. L., & Taylor T. N.
Secondary growth in Vertebraria roots from the Late Permian of Antarctica: a change in developmental timing.
International Journal of Plant Science 170(5):644–656 (2009) Ed.
- Meyer-Berthaud B. & Decombeix A.-L.
Evolution of first trees: the Devonian strategies.
Comptes Rendus Palevol 8 (2-3): 155-165 (2009; in French, with abridged English version) Ed.
Presentations
2009
--- previous years ---
- Decombeix A.-L., Taylor E. L. & Taylor T. N.
A permineralized gymnosperm trunk with preserved cortex from the Middle Triassic of Antarctica: anatomy and affinities.
Botany and mycology 2009, July 25-29, 2009, Snowbird, UT, USA. Abstract
- Meyer-Berthaud B., Decombeix A.-L. & Galtier J.
Assessing transitional changes in arborescent lignophytes at the D/C boundary.
Lyell meeting 2009: Late Palaeozoic terrestrial habitats and biotas: the effect of changing climates, May 21, 2009, London, UK
- Meyer-Berthaud B. & Decombeix A.-L.
Contribution of the earliest woody trees (lignophytes) to the greening of the continents.
European Geosciences Union 2009 Congress, 19-24 April 2009, Vienna, Austria (poster) Abstract