David Maddison

My research focuses on the evolution of beetles, and developing methods and software for phylogenetic analysis. I have concentrated on the evolution of adult and larval structure, and chromosomes, of ground beetles (Carabidae). Along with colleagues, I am now looking at the phylogeny of the major lineages of carabid beetles, using DNA sequence data as well as morphological characters. My general work in phylogenetic biology centers on developing software, including the computer program MacClade and the new system Mesquite. Another large project is the Tree of Life, a collaboratively-built collection of World Wide Web pages that seeks to comprise an illustrated, annotated phylogeny of all living things, including both the branches and the leaves (species).