A. Lovisa S. Gustafsson

Senior engineer at the Botanical garden
Responsible for the daily management of the garden and further development of plant collections.
Research interests
My research focus around questions regarding Arctic and alpine plant evolutionary biology. In particular I am interested in understanding the underlying processes and genetic mechanisms involved in the accumulation of reproductive isolation. I have particular knowledge about evolutionary processes in plants, genetic linkage mapping, extensive field work and laboratory experience as well as work involving experimental plant cultures.
I am intrigued by the fact that despite it being such a fundamental question in biology, we know surprisingly little about the evolutionary forces responsible for the evolution of reproductive barriers and subsequently how new species originate. We also know little about how much time it takes for new, reproductively isolated species to form, and what factors influence speciation rates.
My research evolve around two fundamental questions:
1) Why and how fast does reproductive barriers evolve - what factors influence the rate of speciation?
2) What genetic architecture fosters the evolution of reproductive isolation?
Background
* PhD in Evolutionary Biology, University of Oslo, Norway (2008-2013)
* MSc in Evolutionary Biology, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
* BSc in Botany, University of Gothenburg, Sweden
Link to PhD thesis
Publications
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Ikeda, Hajime; Suzuki, Tomomi; Oka, Yoshito; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brochmann, Christian & Mochizuki, Nobuyoshi [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Divergence in red light responses associated with thermal reversion of phytochrome B between high- and low-latitude species. New Phytologist. ISSN 0028-646X. 231, p. 75–84. doi: 10.1111/nph.17381.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Gussarova, Galina; Borgen, Liv; Ikeda, Hajime; Antonelli, Alexandre & Marie-Orleach, Lucas [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Rapid evolution of post-zygotic reproductive isolation is widespread in Arctic plant lineages. Annals of Botany. ISSN 0305-7364. 129(2), p. 171–184. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcab128. Full text in Research Archive
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Gizaw, Abel ; Gorospe, Juan Manuel; Kandziora, Martha; Chala, Desalegn ; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S & Zergabachew, Abush Zinaw [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Afro-alpine flagships revisited II: elucidating the evolutionary relationships and species boundaries in the giant senecios (Dendrosenecio, Asteraceae). Alpine Botany. ISSN 1664-2201. doi: 10.1007/s00035-021-00268-5. Full text in Research Archive
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Nowak, Michael; Birkeland, Siri; Mandáková, Terezie; Choudhury, Rimjhim Roy; Guo, Xinyi & Gustafsson, A Lovisa S [Show all 15 contributors for this article] (2020). The genome of Draba nivalis shows signatures of adaptation to the extreme environmental stresses of the Arctic. Molecular Ecology Resources. ISSN 1755-098X. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13280.
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Birkeland, Siri; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brysting, Anne Krag; Brochmann, Christian & Nowak, Michael (2020). Multiple Genetic Trajectories to Extreme Abiotic Stress Adaptation in Arctic Brassicaceae. Molecular Biology and Evolution (MBE). ISSN 0737-4038. 37(7), p. 2052–2068. doi: 10.1093/molbev/msaa068. Full text in Research Archive
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Andermann, Tobias; Torres Jiménez, Maria Fernanda; Matos-Maravi, Pável; Batista, Romina; Blanco-Pastor, José L. & Gustafsson, A Lovisa S [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2020). A guide to carrying out a phylogenomic target sequence capture project. Frontiers in Genetics. ISSN 1664-8021. 10:1407, p. 1–20. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2019.01407.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Skrede, Inger; Rowe, Heather C.; Gussarova, Galina; Borgen, Liv & Rieseberg, Loren [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2014). Genetics of cryptic speciation within an arctic Mustard, Draba nivalis. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 9(4). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0093834. Full text in Research Archive
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Antonelli, Alexandre; Verola, Christiano F.; Parisod, Christian & Gustafsson, A Lovisa S (2010). Climate cooling promoted the expansion and radiation of a threatened group of South American orchids (Epidendroideae: Laeliinae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4066. 100(3), p. 597–607. doi: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01438.x.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Verola, Christiano F. & Antonelli, Alexandre (2010). Reassessing the temporal evolution of orchids with new fossils and a Bayesian relaxed clock, with implications for the diversification of the rare South American genus Hoffmannseggella (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae). BMC Evolutionary Biology. ISSN 1471-2148. 10(177). doi: 10.1186/1471-2148-10-177.
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Birkeland, Siri; Slotte, Tanja; Brochmann, Christian; Brysting, Anne Krag; Gustafsson, Lovisa & Nowak, Michael D (2021). What can the cold-induced transcriptomes of Arctic Brassicaceae tell us about the evolution of cold tolerance?
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Gizaw, Abel ; Gorospe, Juan Manuel; Kandziora, Martha; Chala, Desalegn ; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S & Zinaw, Abush [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2021). Is lack of phylogenetic resolution the hallmark of alpine radiation? Insights from the afro-alpine giants in Dendrosenecio (Senecioneae, Asteraceae).
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S (2020). The Speciation Clock project How fast does the 'speciation clock' tick in selfing versus outcrossing lineages? .
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S (2020). Forskere forteller: På ekspedisjon til afrikanske himmeløyer.
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Huseby, Lise Grønnerød; Nowak, Michael; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brochmann, Christian & Brysting, Anne Krag (2019). How fast does the Speciation Clock tick? Show summary
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Birkeland, Siri; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brysting, Anne Krag; Brochmann, Christian & Nowak, Michael (2019). Same destination, but different roads? Overarching, but limited fine-scale molecular convergence in Arctic crucifers.
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Flood, Pádraic J; Goktay, Mehmet; Tergemina, Emmanuel; Gywenne-Evans, David; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S & Telia, Habte [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2019). The genetic basis of convergent adaptation to altitude in Arabidopsis thaliana .
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S & Gizaw, Abel (2019). Speciation Clock-prosjektet: Feltarbeid i de afrikanske himmeløyer.
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Nowak, Michael; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Birkeland, Siri; Gizaw, Abel ; Rieseberg, Loren & Slotte, Tanja [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2018). Has historical introgression impacted the evolution of hybrid incompatibilities between populations of the Arctic plant Draba nivalis (Brassicaceae)? .
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Gizaw, Abel ; Birkeland, Siri; Nowak, Michael; Gelete, Desalegn Chala & Slotte, Tanja [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). Evolution of postzygotic reproductive isolation in Arctic and Mediterranean plants.
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Birkeland, Siri; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brysting, Anne Krag; Brochmann, Christian & Nowak, Michael (2018). Testing for convergent signatures of selection in Arctic plants.
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Nowak, Michael; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Seid, Abel Gizaw; Birkeland, Siri; Rieseberg, Loren & Slotte, Tanja [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). SpArc: Searching for genetic mechanisms of plant speciation in the Arctic.
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Birkeland, Siri; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Slotte, Tanja; Brysting, Anne Krag; Brochmann, Christian & Nowak, Michael (2017). Testing for convergent molecular evolution in Arctic plants.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Birkeland, Siri; Gizaw, Abel ; Rieseberg, LH; Slotte, Tanja & Nowak, Michael [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Searching for genetic mechanisms of plant speciation in the Arctic.
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Birkeland, Siri; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brysting, Anne Krag; Slotte, Tanja; Brochmann, Christian & Nowak, Michael (2016). Testing for convergent evolution of cold tolerance in Arctic plants.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Borgen, Liv; Gusarova, Galina & Brochmann, Christian (2011). Cryptic Speciation in Arctic Plants.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brochmann, Christian; Gusarova, Galina & Borgen, Liv (2011). Cryptic Speciation in the Arctic.
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Parisod, Christian; Schranz, Eric; Borgen, Liv; Gusarova, Galina & Brochmann, Christian (2010). Genetics of Intrinsic Postzygotic Isolation in Draba nivalis (Brassicaceae).
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Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Brochmann, Christian; Borgen, Liv & Gusarova, Galina (2010). High Biological Species Diversity in the Arctic Flora?
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Gustafsson, Lovisa; Borgen, Liv; Gusarova, Galina & Brochmann, Christian (2009). High Biological Species Diversity in the Arctic Flora?
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Lannin, N; Gustafsson, A Lovisa S; Cusick, A; Walker, M; Steultjens, Esther & Fricke, JC [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2009). Scholarly communication and concerns for our conferences. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal.