Systematics
We study biodiversity by asking a fundamental question: what are the species that make up life around us and how are they related to each other? By combining morphological data with molecular phylogenetics and genomic tools, we investigate species boundaries, uncover cryptic diversity, and resolve evolutionary relationships among taxa. Much of our work till now centers on reptiles of Tropical Asia, with the aim of refining taxonomy and providing a robust framework for evolutionary and ecological studies.
Biogeography
We study how geological history, climate, and landscape dynamics have shaped the distribution of biodiversity across Tropical Asia. Using phylogenetic and biogeographic analyses, we test hypotheses about dispersal, vicariance, and range expansion across regions in Tropical Asia, and especially in the Indian subcontinent. Our work seeks to understand how historical processes have generated contemporary patterns of endemism and species assemblages, and we hope to increasingly explore the relatively understudied Eastern Ghats in future research.
Macroevolution
Our macroevolutionary research examines the processes that generate and maintain biodiversity over deep evolutionary timescales. By integrating phylogenetic data with ecological and environmental information, we explore patterns of diversification, trait evolution, and niche conservatism across lineages. These analyses help reveal how tectonic events, climatic shifts, and ecological factors have influenced the tempo and mode of evolution in tropical biota.
Ecology
