Integrating comparative morphology and development into evolutionary research

Abstract

Comparative morphology was for many years the main source of information for systematic studies. As a result of the molecular revolution in evolutionary botanical research in the early 1990s, we can now rely on a system of classification based primarily or exclusively on DNA. Nevertheless, we would like to emphasise the importance of morphology in this era of molecular phylogenetics. We argue that comparative morphology, using the latest technologies and developmental studies, is a modern and important scientific discipline that is essential to better understand evolution of the angiosperms and many other taxa. This paper also offers a guideline for emerging morphologists and phylogeneticists aiming to include morphology in their research.