David Thomas
Research Specialist
I received a B.S. degree in Biology at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, NC and a M.Sc. degree in Biology at UNC-Wilmington. For my master's thesis, I worked on the systematics of Gelidialean marine seaweed (Gelidiales, Rhodphyta). At NCSU, I am a Research Specialist and Lab Manager in Jenny Xiang's molecular systematics lab in the plant biology department. Here, I contribute to several ongoing projects in the lab including the systematics and evolution of dogwoods, phylogeography of C. florda and Nyssa sylvatica, conservation genetics of Echinacea laevigata, and systematics and study of a hybrid zone in Aesculus. I am currently working to identify genes that may play a role in the inflorescence architecture found in the four subgroups of dogwoods.
Publications:

Xiang, (Jenny) Qiu-Yun, Jeffrey Thorne, Tae-Kun Seo, Wenheng Zhang, David T. Thomas, and Robert E. Ricklefs. In prep. Speciation and the rate of nucleotide substitution in Cornus L. (Cornaceae).

Peters, Melinda D., (Jenny) Qiu-Yun Xiang, David T. Thomas, Jon Stucky. In press. Genetic analyses of the federally endangered Echinacea laevigata using amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLP) – Inferences in population genetic structure and mating system. Conservation Genetics.

Zhang, Wenheng, (Jenny) Qiu-Yun Xiang, David T. Thomas, Brian M. Wiegmann, Douglas E. Soltis. In press. Molecular evolution of PISTILLATA-like genes in the dogwood genus Cornus (Cornaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.

Krings, Alexander, David T. Thomas and Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang. In press. On the generic circumscription of Gonolobus (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae): Evidence from molecules and morphology. Systematic Botany.

Thomas, David T., Adjoa R. Ahedor, Charles F. Williams, Claude dePamphilis, Daniel J. Crawford, . and (Jenny) Qiu-Yun Xiang. In press. Genetic analysis of a broad hybrid zone in Aesculus (Sapindaceae) – Is there evidence of long-distance pollen dispersal? International Journal of Plant Sciences.

Modliszewski, J. L., D. T. Thomas, C. Fan, D. J. Crawford, C. W. dePamphilis, Q.-Y. (J.) Xiang. 2006. Ancestral Chloroplast Polymorphism and Historical Secondary Contact in a Broad Hybrid Zone of Aesculus (Sapindaceae). American Journal of Botany 93: 377-388.

Xiang, (J.) Q.-Y., D. T. Thomas, W. Zhang, S. R. Manchester, Z. Murrell. 2006. Species level phylogeny of the Dogwood genus Cornus (Cornaceae) based on molecular and morphological evidence– implication in taxonomy and Tertiary intercontinental migration. Taxon 55: 9-30.

Xiang, (J.) Q.-Y. S. R. Manchester, D. T. Thomas, W. H. Zhang, and C. Z Fan. 2005. Phylogeny, biogeography, and molecular dating of Cornelian Cherries (Cornus, Cornaceae) - tracking Tertiary plant migration. Evolution 59: 1685-1700.

Fan, C.Z., M. D. Purugganan, D. T. Thomas, B. M. Wiegmann, and (J.) Q.-Y. Xiang. 2004. Heterogeneous evolution of the Myc-like anthocyanin regulatory gene and its phylogenetic utility in Cornus L. (Cornaceae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 33: 580-594.

Freshwater, D.W., D.T. Thomas & J.C. Bailey. 2002. Research Note: Characterization of a cDNA encoding glutamine synthetase II from Gelidium crinale (Rhodophyta). Phycological Research 50: 17-21.

Thomas, D.T. & D.W. Freshwater. 2001. Studies of Costa Rican Gelidiales (Rhodophyta): Four Caribbean taxa including Pterocladiella beachii sp. nov. Phycologia 40: 340-350.

Contributed Talks at Professional Meetings

2007. Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang, David Thomas, and Steven R. Manchester. Phylogeny and Biogeography of Cornales -Increased sampling in taxa and characters, placement of Hydrostachys, BEAST vs. Multidivtime, and DIVA vs. AreA. Contributed talk at Annual meeting of BSA Joint Congress, Chicago, Illinois.

2007. Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang, David Thomas, Wenheng Zhang, and Chunmiao Feng. Genome duplication and origin of polyploid species in the herbaceous dogwoods Cornus subg.Artocrania. Contributed talk at Annual meeting of BSA Joint Congress, Chicago, Illinois.

2007. AJ Harris, David Thomas, and Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang. Inferring Biogeography in the Face of Phylogenetic Uncertainty: An example using Aesculus L. Contributed talk at Annual meeting of BSA Joint Congress, Chicago, Illinois.

2007. Alexander Krings, David Thomas, and Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang. On the generic circumscription of Gonolobus (Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae): Evidence from molecules and morphology. Contributed talk at Annual meeting of BSA Joint Congress, Chicago, Illinois.

2006 (J.) Qiu-yun Xiang, Brian Moore, Jeff Thorne, and David Thomas. Biogeographic and biological correlates of diversification in dogwoods: migration and evolution of fruits and inflorescences in space and time. Contributed talk at Annual Evolution meeting, Stony Brook, New York.

2006 Chunmiao (Mia) Feng, David T. Thomas, Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang. Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Alangiaceae – integrating evidence from DNA sequences, morphology, and fossils. Contributed talk at Annual meeting of BSA (Botanical Society of America) and ASPT (American Society of Plant Taxonomy), Chico, California.

2006 Wendy K. Harris, David T. Thomas, Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang. Phylogeny and biogeography of the buckeye genus (Aesculus, Sapindaceae) –– A re-evaluation using broader sampling, a new method of phylogenetic dating, and new fossil evidence. Contributed talk at Annual meeting of BSA (Botanical Society of America) and ASPT (American Society of Plant Taxonomy), Chico, California.

2006 Harris, W., D. T. Thomas, Q.-Y. (J.). Xiang. Phylogeny and biogeography of the buckeye genus Sapindaceae) – A reevaluation with broader sampling, new method of phylogenetic dating, and new fossil evidence. Contributed paper, 32nd annual meeting of SEEPAGE (South-East Ecology, Population Genetics and Evolution), September, Greensboro, NC.

2005 Peng, Ching-I, Shih-Chung Hsu, Allison B. Matheson, David T.Thomas, Qiu-Yun (Jenny) Xiang. Phylogenetic Relationships of Begonia with Emphasis on the Chinese Species –Evidence from ITS Sequences. XVII International Botanical Congress, 2005, Vienna, Austria.

2004 Jennifer L. Modliszewski, (Jenny) Qiu-Yun Xiang, David T. Thomas. cpDNA Analysis of an Aesculus (Sapindales) hybrid zone - Implications on Evolutionary Processes. Contributed paper at the Evolution Conference 2004, Fort Collins, Colorado.

2003 Xiang, Qiu-Yun (Jenny), David Thomas, Adjoa Ahedor-Richardson, and Charles F. Williams. Microsatellite polymorphism and genetic structure of a broad hybrid zone in Aesculus (Sapindales). Contributed paper at the Botanical Society of America meeting, Mobile, AL.

2003 Xiang, Qiu-Yun (Jenny), Jeffrey Thorne, Tae-Kun Seo, David Thomas, Chuanzhu Fan, and Wenheng Zhang. Phylogeny and Disjunct Biogeography of Cornus – Divergence Times and Rates of Molecular Evolution. Contributed paper at the Botanical Society of America meeting, Mobile, AL.

2003 Xiang, Qiu-Yun (Jenny), David Thomas, Wenheng Zhang, Chuanzhu Fan, and Steven R. Manchester. Phylogeny and Divergence Times of the Cornelian Cherries (Cornus subg. Cornus, Cornaceae) – Congruence Among Parsimony, Maximum Likelihood, and Bayesian Analyses, and Implications for Evolution and Biogeography. Contributed paper at the Botanical Society of America meeting, Mobile, AL.

2000 David T. Thomas and D. Wilson Freshwater. A phylogenetic study of Gelidium crinale (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta) based on rbcL and LSU sequence data. Contributed paper at the Southeastern Phycological Society Meeting, Charleston, SC.

Contributed Posters at Professional Meetings

2006 Feng, C. M., D. T. Thomas, Q.-Y. (J.). Xiang. Phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Alangiaceae – integrating evidence from DNA sequences, morphology, and fossils. Contributed paper, 32nd annual meeting of SEEPAGE (South-East Ecology, Population Genetics and Evolution), September, Greensboro, NC.

2005 Peng, C.-I., S.-C. Hsu, A. B. Matheson, D. T.Thomas, Q.-Y. (J.) Xiang. Phylogenetic Relationships of Begonia with Emphasis on the Chinese Species –Evidence from ITS Sequences. XVII international Botanical Congress, Vienna.