Christopher W. Dick - Assistant Professor, Assistant Curator (Vascular Plants)










email: cwdick@umich.edu | phone: 734-764-9408

 Academic background
Harvard University, Ph.D.
Hampshire College, M.S.

Lab Web site

Fields of study
Tropical ecology and evolution, population genetics, biogeography, forest history

Research interests
 I am interested in historical and evolutionary processes that underlie the rich diversity of tree species in tropical forests. My current research is focused on (1) population genetic structure and comparative phylogeography of widespread neotropical tree species, (2) measuring pollen and seed dispersal at local scales using genetic markers, and (3) using phylogenies and fossil records to understand the biogeographic history of tropical rainforest tree communities. My research is funded by the National Science Foundation (DEB 0640379) and by a collaborative grant from the European Union (SeedSource project).

My molecular ecology lab is active with graduate students doing independent research. Shalene Jha studies the effects of pollinator shifts on the maintenance of genetic diversity in reproductively-specialized native trees in shade coffee farms in Mexico. Jess Peirson is analyzing the post-glacial phylogeography of goldenrods (Solidago simplex species group) across North America. Sandra Yap is examining the comparative phylogeography of rainforest trees in the Philippine archipelago. Roosevelt García studies comparative phylogeography of the fig/fig-wasp mutualism in Peru and Panama. Diego Alvarado studies mechanisms of diversification of mammals in the Ecuadorian Andes. Brian Sedio is using community phylogenies to dissect the roles of ecology and biogeographic history in the assembly of tropical forest tree communities.

I am always interested in talking with prospective graduate students, and sponsor students with interesting project ideas. Prospective students are encouraged to start a dialog prior to applying.

Select publications
Dick, C. W. and M. Heuertz. 2008. The complex biogeographic history of a widespread tropical tree species. Evolution 62:2760-2774.
Jha, S. and C. W. Dick. (in press) Isolation and characterization of nine microsatellite loci for the tropical understory tree Miconia affinis Wurdack (Melastomataceae). Molecular Ecology Resources.
Pennington, R. T. and C. W. Dick (in press) Diversification of the Amazonian flora and its relation to key geological and environmental events: a molecular perspective. In C. Hoorn, H. Vonhof and F, Wesselingh (eds) Neogene history of Western Amazonia and its significance for modern biodiversity. Blackwell Publishing, Oxford, UK.
Petit, R. J., F. S. Hu, and C. W. Dick. 2008. Forests of the past: a window to future changes. Science 320: 1450-1452.
Dick, C. W. 2008. New interpretations of fine scale spatial genetic structure Molecular Ecology 17: 1873-1874.
Dick, C. W., F. A. Jones, O. J. Hardy, and R. Petit. 2008. Spatial scales of seed and pollen-mediated gene flow in tropical forest trees. Tropical Plant Biology 1: 20-33.
Dick, C. W., E. Bermingham, M. Lemes, and R. Gribel. 2007. Extreme long distance dispersal of the lowland rainforest tree Ceiba pentandra L. (Malvaceae) in Africa and the Neotropics. Molecular Ecology 16: 3039-3049. NSF press release link
Ward, M., C. W. Dick, R. Gribel and, A. J. Lowe. 2005. To self or not to self… A review of outcrossing and pollen mediated gene flow in neotropical trees. Heredity 95: 246-254.
Bermingham, E., C. W. Dick, and C. Moritz, editors. 2005. Tropical Rain Forests: Past, Present and Future, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
Pennington, R. T. and C. W. Dick. 2004. The role of immigrants in the assembly of the South American rainforest tree flora. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London 359: 1611-1622.
Leigh, E.G., P. Davidar, C. Dick, J. P. Puyravaud, J. Terborgh, H. T. Steege, and S. J. Wright. 2004. Why do some tropical forests have so many kinds of trees? Biotropica 36 (4): 447-473.
Dick, C. W., D. W. Roubik, K. Gruber, and E. Bermingham. 2004. Long distance gene flow and cross-Andean dispersal of lowland rainforest bees (Apidae: Euglossini) revealed by comparative mtDNA phylogeography. Molecular Ecology 13: 3775-3785.
Laurance, W. F., A. A. Oliveira, S. G. Laurance, R. Condit, H. E. M. Nascimento, A. C. Sanchez-Thorin, T. E. Lovejoy, A. Andrade, S. D’Angelo, J. E. Ribeiro, and C. W. Dick. 2004. Pervasive alteration of tree communities in undisturbed Amazonian forests. Nature 428: 171-175.
Austerlitz, F., C. W. Dick, C. Dutech, E. Klein, S. Oddou-Muratoria, P. E. Smouse, and V. L. Sork. 2004. Using genetic markers to estimate the pollen dispersal curve. Molecular Ecology 13: 937-954.
Dick, C.W., K. Abdul-Salim, and E. Bermingham. 2003. Molecular systematic analysis reveals cryptic Tertiary diversification of a widespread tropical rainforest tree. American Naturalist 160 (12): 691-703.
Novick, R. S., C. W. Dick, M. Lemes, C. Navarro, A. Caccone, and E. Bermingham. 2003. Genetic structure of Mesoamerican populations of big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) inferred by microsatellite analysis. Molecular Ecology 12: 2885-2893.
Dick, C. W., G. Etchelecu, and F. Austerlitz. 2003. Pollen dispersal of tropical trees (Dinizia excelsa: Fabaceae) by native insects and African honeybees in pristine and fragmented Amazonian rainforest. Molecular Ecology 12: 753-764.
Morley, R. J. and C. W. Dick. 2003. Missing fossils, molecular clocks and the origin of the Melastomataceae. American Journal of Botany 90: 1638-1645.
Bermingham, E. and Dick, C. W. 2001. The Inga: Newcomer or museum antiquity? Science 293: 2214-2216.
Dick, C. W. 2001. Genetic rescue of remnant tropical trees by an alien pollinator. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B. 268: 2391-2397.