Krissa Skogen, Ph.D.
Understanding the diversity of life starts with uncovering the evolutionary histories and relationships between interacting organisms and landscapes. As a botanist, I am fascinated by the rich diversity of flowering plants (angiosperms) and the insects that interact with them - both pollinators and antagonists (herbivores, seed predators, etc.) - and how these interactions may help explain the great diversity we see today. Much of my work focuses on differences between hawkmoth- and bee-pollinated plant species and the implications for floral phenotypes (shape, color, size, scent), population connectivity, and species boundaries. I'm also fascinated by the role that antagonists may play, especially those that are attracted to the same floral cues that attract pollinators (including color and scent) given the opposing, negative impacts of floral antagonists on plant fitness. Much of this work uses the Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution as a model to explain the evolutionary relationships between members of the evening primrose family, Onagraceae, their hawkmoth and bee pollinators, and antagonist microlepidoptera in the genus Mompha (more info here).
I am also committed to plant conservation efforts, including investigating the impacts of anthropogenic factors on plants and pollinators. My previous work has investigated the impact of land use change on an endemic, hawkmoth-pollinated evening primrose, Oenothera harringtonii and the role that atmospheric nitrogen deposition may have played in the decline of the nitrogen-fixing legume, Desmodium cuspidatum.
Understanding the diversity of life starts with uncovering the evolutionary histories and relationships between interacting organisms and landscapes. As a botanist, I am fascinated by the rich diversity of flowering plants (angiosperms) and the insects that interact with them - both pollinators and antagonists (herbivores, seed predators, etc.) - and how these interactions may help explain the great diversity we see today. Much of my work focuses on differences between hawkmoth- and bee-pollinated plant species and the implications for floral phenotypes (shape, color, size, scent), population connectivity, and species boundaries. I'm also fascinated by the role that antagonists may play, especially those that are attracted to the same floral cues that attract pollinators (including color and scent) given the opposing, negative impacts of floral antagonists on plant fitness. Much of this work uses the Geographic Mosaic Theory of Coevolution as a model to explain the evolutionary relationships between members of the evening primrose family, Onagraceae, their hawkmoth and bee pollinators, and antagonist microlepidoptera in the genus Mompha (more info here).
I am also committed to plant conservation efforts, including investigating the impacts of anthropogenic factors on plants and pollinators. My previous work has investigated the impact of land use change on an endemic, hawkmoth-pollinated evening primrose, Oenothera harringtonii and the role that atmospheric nitrogen deposition may have played in the decline of the nitrogen-fixing legume, Desmodium cuspidatum.
Lab News
2019
Headed to the Botany meeting in Tucson? Check out talks from the lab!
Monday 7/29. 8:00. Tucson H - Anita Cisternas - Influence of flower size, herkogamy and breeding system on inbreeding and inbreeding depression of Oenothera primiveris
Monday 7/29. 11:00. San Ignacio - Ben Cooper. The power of population sampling, splash-zone introns, and summary coalescent methods in target enrichment: untangling species relationships in Oenothera sect. Calylophus.
Tuesday 7/30. 8:30. San Luis 2 - Katie Wenzell - Floral divergence in color and corolla length in relation to major pollinators within Castilleja
Tuesday 7/30. 8:30. Tucson I. Krissa Skogen - Pollinator foraging behavior and dispersal patterns predict population genetic structure in plant populations.
Wednesday 7/31. 2:45. Tucson H. Susan Deans - Comparing wild and ex situ genetic diversity in two subspecies of the endemic Hawaiian tree, Hibiscus waimeae (Malvaceae)
Wednesday 7/31. 4:57. San Ignacio. Haley Carter - Mating dynamics and linalool production in Oenothera harringtonii
New paper in PlosONE! Read about Dan Brusseze's master's research on Mompha moth diversity and how the group has evolved!! Dan's work reveals that the type of plant tissue that insects eat and how they eat it has been key in generating new species of Mompha The study also identified new species that were previously unknown to science.
Congrats to PhD students Katie Wenzell and Susan Deans who were awarded grants to fund their dissertation research! Both Katie and Susan received funding from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. Susan also received funding from the American Philosophical Society's Lewis and Clark Fund for Research and Field Exploration.
Congrats to Kat Andrews who successfully defended her Master's thesis on March 1st!
2019
Headed to the Botany meeting in Tucson? Check out talks from the lab!
Monday 7/29. 8:00. Tucson H - Anita Cisternas - Influence of flower size, herkogamy and breeding system on inbreeding and inbreeding depression of Oenothera primiveris
Monday 7/29. 11:00. San Ignacio - Ben Cooper. The power of population sampling, splash-zone introns, and summary coalescent methods in target enrichment: untangling species relationships in Oenothera sect. Calylophus.
Tuesday 7/30. 8:30. San Luis 2 - Katie Wenzell - Floral divergence in color and corolla length in relation to major pollinators within Castilleja
Tuesday 7/30. 8:30. Tucson I. Krissa Skogen - Pollinator foraging behavior and dispersal patterns predict population genetic structure in plant populations.
Wednesday 7/31. 2:45. Tucson H. Susan Deans - Comparing wild and ex situ genetic diversity in two subspecies of the endemic Hawaiian tree, Hibiscus waimeae (Malvaceae)
Wednesday 7/31. 4:57. San Ignacio. Haley Carter - Mating dynamics and linalool production in Oenothera harringtonii
New paper in PlosONE! Read about Dan Brusseze's master's research on Mompha moth diversity and how the group has evolved!! Dan's work reveals that the type of plant tissue that insects eat and how they eat it has been key in generating new species of Mompha The study also identified new species that were previously unknown to science.
Congrats to PhD students Katie Wenzell and Susan Deans who were awarded grants to fund their dissertation research! Both Katie and Susan received funding from the American Society of Plant Taxonomists. Susan also received funding from the American Philosophical Society's Lewis and Clark Fund for Research and Field Exploration.
Congrats to Kat Andrews who successfully defended her Master's thesis on March 1st!
2018
Excited to see this article in Energy News Network highlighting the important work of Homeward Bound and contributions of Krissa and Jing Hu, another scientist in the Chicago area, who will participate in the 4th cohort in 2019! 9 Nov 2018
Krissa will be speaking at the 65th Annual Fall Symposium – Biota of North America: what we know, what we don’t know and what we’re losing at the Missouri Botanical Garden. "The unsung heroes and villains of the night – nocturnal pollination and herbivory in the evening primrose family, Onagraceae. 13 Oct 2018
Ph.D. student Katie Wenzell is featured in the Fall 2018 issue of Keep Growing! Great piece, Katie!! 28 Aug 2018
Krissa is 1 of 95 women in STEMM selected to participate in the 4th Homeward Bound cohort, TeamHB4! Homeward Bound is working to advance initiatives focused on women in STEMM, raise awareness about climate change threats, and train 1000 women in 10 years to pursue leadership positions to influence policy and decision making as it impacts the planet. The Program involves 11 months of leadership training and professional development and culminates in a 3-week voyage to Antarctica in Nov 2019!
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Congrats To Dr. Kelly Ksiazek-Mikenas Who Has Accepted A Full-Time Lecturer Position In The Biology Department At Elmhurst College Starting This Fall!! We're So Happy And Proud Of Her!!
Krissa Was Featured On The 4th Episode Of The New Podcast, The Shape Of The World - Ep. 4 Secret In The Scented Night!
Listen Here!
Krissa worked with Chicago-area poet José Olivarez to create and perform a series of three poems inspired by her research on hawkmoth pollination and José’s poetry at the U.S. premier performance project, Experimental Words, from Manchester, U.K.-based scientist Sam Illingworth, Ph.D., and poet Dan Simpson.
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Congrats to Susan Deans and Katie Wenzel on being awarded PBC Graduate Research grants to fund their 2018 fieldwork! Katie also received funding from the Illinois Native Plant Society!