Megan Van Etten
University of Michigan
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
[email protected]
EDUCATION
Ph.D. in Plant Biology at the University of Georgia, Athens, GA
B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
2009
2003
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral Research Associate with Dr. Regina Baucom
Postdoctoral Research Associate with Drs. Alastair Robertson and Jennifer Tate
Postdoctoral Research Associate with Dr. Johanne Brunet
Graduate Teaching Assistant for science lab courses
Research Assistant with Dr. Pamela Diggle
Participated in 'Research Experience for Undergraduates' program
2014-current
2012-2014
2010-2012
2004-2009
2003
2003
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Postdoctoral work: “The evolution of herbicide resistance in an agricultural weed”
Adviser: Regina Baucom
The recent increase in herbicide usage has resulted in strong selection pressure for
herbicide resistance in weeds. This strong selection pressure has resulted in, to date, 246 species
that have evolved herbicide resistance, including Ipomoea pupurea, the common morning glory.
As apposed to genetically modified herbicide resistance, naturally evolved resistance can occur
via many pathways. The mechanisms of resistance and the genetic basis behind resistance have
both evolutionary (e.g. fitness costs, speed of spread) and applied (e.g. how to limit spread,
methods to counteract resistance) consequences. We are taking several approaches to identifying
the genes involved in glyphosate resistance and the consequences to population level processes
of being resistant with the ultimate goal of clarifying the evolutionary response to this novel
environmental pressure.
Postdoctoral work: “The effect of the ‘wreckage of megafauna’ on selfing rates of two tree
species endemic to New Zealand”
Advisers: Alastair Robertson and Jennifer Tate
Birds provide a variety of ecosystem services, such as pollination and seed dispersal,
leading to concerns about how declining numbers of birds worldwide could affect other trophic
levels. One such “trophic cascade” of concern is the potential for decreased pollination services
leading to increased production of unfit selfed seeds and, ultimately, population declines of bird
pollinated species. This effect could be especially drastic in New Zealand where the flora is
heavily reliant on birds for pollination and almost half of the bird species have become extinct in
the past 600 years of human habitation. To determine the effect of bird declines on the
population dynamics of the plants they pollinate, we are examining selfing rates of two endemic
tree species, Fuchsia excorticata and Sophora microphylla. We have found that selfing rates
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seem to correlate negatively with bird abundance and that nearly all of the selfed seeds die prior
to adulthood. Since selfing rates range from 50-77%, these results suggest that most of the seeds
produced will not contribute to population growth.
Postdoctoral work: “The effect of landscape characteristics on pollinator behavior in
Alfalfa”
Adviser: Johanne Brunet
Although genetically engineered crops dominate the crop landscape, little is known about
pollen movement in insect-pollinated crops, which is essential in designing practices that reduce
the risk of cross-contamination. To address this gap we are using a combination of field,
greenhouse, and modeling approaches using Alfalfa, Medicago sativa, as a model species to test
the effect of different types of pollinators and the effect of landscape features, such as plant
density and population isolation, on pollen movement distances.
Postdoctoral work: “Phenotypic plasticity of Aquilegia coerulea in response to changes in
temperature and water availability”
Adviser: Johanne Brunet
Due to global warming, the environment experienced by alpine plants is expected to
change drastically. Phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce multiple
phenotypes depending on the environment, may be one way for plants to cope with changing
environments. To understand how phenotypic plasticity affects a variety of traits, we examined
the effect of increased temperature and water availability on vegetative, phenological, and
reproductive traits. We found phenotypic plasticity in almost every trait examined, including leaf
production, flower production, flowering time, flower size and flower color, which may allow
this species to adjust to the rapidly changing environments expected in the near future.
Postdoctoral work: “The weedy wild carrot Daucus carota: demography, genetic structure
and hybridization”
Adviser: Johanne Brunet
The wild carrot, Daucus carota, is a weedy species in the U.S. and can easily hybridize
with the cultivated carrot. We are using a variety of techniques to understand the probability and
consequences of hybridization between cultivated and wild carrot. First, to understand
population dynamics, we are monitoring populations of wild carrot and creating a demographic
model. Using this model and previous data, we can predict the current population growth, and
the impact of hybrids being introduced into populations. Second, we are using microsatellite
markers to understand the genetic diversity in the wild carrots both in the Midwestern US and the
West Coast. Lastly, we are examining recent gene flow from cultivate carrots to wild carrots to
determine how distance affects the frequency of gene movement.
Ph.D. thesis: “The evolution and maintenance of gynodioecy in Geranium maculatum”
Adviser: Shu-Mei Chang
Committee: Jim Hamrick, Mike Arnold, Jim Leebens-Mack, Rodney Mauricio
Gynodioecy is thought to be the most common transition from hermaphroditism to
dioecy, which is a major evolutionary transition in plants. For my dissertation research I
investigated the three major stages in this transition in Geranium maculatum: the initial invasion
of females, the maintenance of females, and the masculinization of hermaphrodites. I found that
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in this species, the initial invasion of females may be difficult due to the genetic control of sex
and pollinator discrimination against females. However, once established gynodioecy appears to
be stable due to increased seed production and flowering frequency in females and selection on
hermaphrodites to maintain both male and female function.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
I have taught a variety of undergraduate general biology and plant biology lab courses,
designed and taught the lab portion of a graduate level plant reproductive ecology course, and
was a guest lecturer in several upper level plant biology courses. Informally, I have advised both
undergraduate and graduate students in and out of the lab. I served as the primary adviser for
several undergraduates doing research projects in the lab. This included guiding them in the
development of a research topic and methodology, basic data analysis, and understanding/writing
the final results. I have also mentored many fellow graduate students on a variety of topics
including time management, organizational skills, data analysis, and techniques to survive
graduate school. Additionally, I have developed community outreach activities on pollination
and have I participated in several outreach events: UW Science Exploration (>1,000 people),
UW West Madison Research Station Horticulture Day (>100 people) and the Wisconsin Science
Festival (>1,000 people).
UNDERGRADUATE MENTEES
Kendall Olford
Melanie Florkowski
Sara Sanchez
Nick Gabry
Carly Murphy
Alex Kwan
PUBLICATIONS
Van Etten, M. L., J. A. Tate, S. H. Anderson, D. Kelly, J. J. Ladley, M. F. Merrett, P. G.
Peterson, A. W. Robertson. 2015. The compounding effects of high pollen limitation,
selfing rates and inbreeding depression leave a New Zealand tree with few viable
offspring. Annals of Botany doi: 10.1093/aob/mcv118.
Van Etten, M. L., J Brunet. 2015. Using population matrix models to reduce the spread of wild
carrot. Acta Horticulturae (in press).
Van Etten, M. L. and S-M. Chang. 2014. Frequency-dependent pollinator discrimination acts
against female plants in the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum. Annals of Botany 114:
1769-1778.
Van Etten, M. L., A. C. Deen, J. L. Hamrick and S-M. Chang. 2014. Mating system contributes
only slightly to female maintenance in gynodioecious Geranium maculatum (Geraniaceae).
Heredity 113: 464-470.
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Van Etten, M. L., G. J. Houliston, C. M. Mitchell, P. B. Heenan, A. W. Robertson and J. A. Tate.
2014. Sophora microphylla (Fabaceae) microsatellite markers and their utility across the
genus. Applications in Plant Sciences 2: 1300081.
Van Etten, M. L., A. W. Robertson and J. A. Tate. 2013. Microsatellite markers for the New
Zealand endemic tree Fuchsia excorticata (Onagraceae). Applications in Plant Sciences 1:
1300045.
Van Etten, M. L. and J. Brunet. 2013. The impact of global warming on floral traits that affect
the selfing rate in a high altitude plant. International Journal of Plant Sciences 174: 10991108.
Van Etten, M. L. and S-M Chang. 2009. Effects of environmental heterogeneity on the
distribution of sexes within and among populations in a gynodioecious species, Geranium
maculatum. New Phytologist 183:649-660.
Van Etten, M. L., L. B. Prevost, A. C. Deen, B. V. Ortiz, L. A. Donovan and S-M Chang. 2008.
Gender differences in reproductive and physiological traits in a gynodioecious species,
Geranium maculatum (Geraniaceae). International Journal of Plant Sciences 169: 271-279.
SUBMITTED MANUSCRIPTS
Van Etten, M. L., A. Kuester, S-M. Chang and R. S. Baucom. Reduced seed viability as a cost of
glyphosate resistance in an agricultural weed. Submitted to Proceedings of National
Academy of Sciences.
Van Etten, M. L., A. Kuester, J. Conner, S-M. Chang and R. S. Baucom. A database approach
uncovers differences in the sexual system of weeds and non-weeds. Submitted to American
Journal of Botany.
SELECTED PRESENTATIONS
“The consequences of pollinator declines on the quantity and quality of offspring
in two New Zealand tree species,” oral presentation delivered at the Evolution
Conference, Raleigh, NC
2014
“Using population genetics to answer evolutionary and ecological questions,” oral
presentation delivered at Massey University Evolution Group.
2013
“Why females are better: the ecology and evolution of gynodioecy in Geranium
maculatum,” oral presentation delivered at Palmerston North Plant Biology meeting.
2012
“The importance of environment: how sex ratio, global warming and pollination
environment affect reproduction,” oral presentation delivered to Massey University
Institute of Natural Resources.
2012
“The evolution and maintenance of gynodioecy in Geranium maculatum,” oral
presentation delivered at University of Wisconsin Evolution Seminar, Madison, WI
2010
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“The effect of population sex ratio on male fitness in the gynodioecious
Geranium maculatum,” oral presentation delivered at Evolution Conference,
Moscow, ID
2009
“The effect of population sex ratio on male and female fitness in the gynodioecious
Geranium, Geranium maculatum,” oral presentation delivered at Ecological Society
of America Conference, Milwaukee, WI
2008
“The maintenance of females in the gynodioecious Geranium maculatum,” oral
presentation delivered at SouthEastern Population Ecology and Evolutionary
Genetics Conference, Tremont, TN
2007
“The effect of females on genetic diversity and population structure in a
gynodioecious species, Geranium maculatum,” poster delivered at Ecological
Society of America Conference, San Jose, CA
2007
HONORS AND AWARDS
American Society of Naturalists Travel Award ($300)
Plant Biology Graduate Student Association Grant ($250)
Plant Biology Greenhouse Grant ($500)
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award
3rd place presentation at Plant Biology Graduate Student Symposium
2nd place poster at Plant Biology Graduate Student Symposium
Plant Biology Small Grant ($1000)
Plant Biology Small Grant ($1000)
Graduated with Distinction (GPA above 3.7)
Inducted into Phi Beta Kappa honor society
REFERENCES
Dr. Jennifer Tate
Institute of Fundamental
Sciences
Massey University
Palmerston North, New
Zealand 4474
[email protected]
Dr. Alastair Robertson
Institute of Agriculture and
Environment
Massey University
Palmerston North, New
Zealand 4474
[email protected]
Dr. Johanne Brunet
USDA-Agricultural
Research Service
University of Wisconsin
Department of Entomology
Madison, WI 53706
608-265-3587
[email protected]
Dr. Shu-Mei Chang
University of Georgia
Department of Plant Biology
Athens, GA 30601
706-583-8026
[email protected]
2009
2009
2008
2008
2008
2007
2007
2006
2003
2003