John Thomson

Name
John A. Thomson MSc, MAgrSc, PhD(Melb)

Position

Honorary Research Associate
Professor Emeritus, Unversity of Sydney

Phone
(02) 9874 2435

Fax
(02) 9251 7231

Role
Research Scientist

Research interests
Biogeography, phylogeny and taxonomy of bracken ferns using morphometrics and molecular criteria (DNA fingerprinting, sequencing of specific nuclear and chloroplast segments); bracken/insect interactions; secondary chemicals of bracken including carcinogens and allelopathic agents.

Keywords
ferns, molecular systematics, biogeography, phylogeny

Current research projects
Develpoment of microsatellite markers for the analysis of genomic relationships in Pteridium

Key publications

Thomson, J.A. 2000a Morphological and genomic diversity in the genus Pteridium (Dennstaedtiaceae). Ann. Bot. 85 (Supplement B): 77-99.
Thomson, J. A. 2002. An improved non-cryogenic transport and storage preservative facilitating DNA extraction from ‘difficult’ plants collected at remote sites. Telopea 9(4):755-760.
Thomson, J.A. 2004.Towards a taxonomic revision of Pteridium (Dennstaedtiaceae). Telopea 10 (4): 793-803.
Thomson, J.A. and M.E. Alonso-Amelot. 2002. Clarification of the taxonomic status and relationships of Pteridium caudatum (Dennstaedtiaceae) in Central and South America. Bot. J. Linn. Soc.140:237-248.
Thomson, J.A., A.C. Chikuni and C.S. McMaster. 2005. The taxonomic status and relationships of bracken ferns (Pteridium: Dennstaedtiaceae) from sub-Saharan Africa. Bot. J. Linn. Soc.148:311-321.
Thomson, J.A. and A B. Martin.1996. Gnarled trichomes: an understudied character in Pteridium. Amer. Fern J. 86: 36-51.