David Morgan, Ph.D.

Professor of Biology
School of Field Investigations and Experimental Sciences Dr. Perry College of Mathematics, Computing, and Sciences

678-839-4044
dmorgan@wesQdeMZKUqrGcLkEhiBX6fETncwy3L1Gql4etga.edu

Biology Building - Room 203H

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David Morgan, Ph.D.
Biography

My primary research interests are in plant evolutionary biology and plant ecology. In my evolutionary research, the plants that I concentrate on are in the family Asteraceae (the sunflower family). Much of my work in Asteraceae has involved constructing phylogenies using DNA sequence data, through which I have found considerable evidence for ancient interspecific hybridization (reticulate evolution). I have also contributed identification keys and descriptions of the genera that I work on to the Flora of California and the Flora of North America. More recently, I have been conducting field-oriented research in plant community ecology. My most recent completed work was a study of variation among moss communities of xeric calcareous habitats in the southeastern United States, and how this variation is correlated with distances among sites and climatic variation among sites. In addition to these research activities, I have conducted a plant inventory of McIntosh Reserve (a local county park) and supervised graduate student thesis research in plant ecology. I am also the curator of the herbarium, a role in which I am responsible for maintaining the biology department's plant collection, collecting and adding specimens to the collection, and responding to requests for information about our specimens or loans of specimens. My upper-level teaching interests are in plant biology, ecology, and evolution, and I regularly teach Vascular Plants (Biol 3223), Plant Taxonomy (Biol 3221), Ecology (Biol 3135), and Evolution (Biol 3242). In addition, I currently teach one introductory course (Biol 2108) and have in the past taught other introductory courses (Biol 1108, Biol 1110, and Biol 1107).

Education / Degrees
  • B.S., Entomology, Mississippi State University, 1976
  • M.S., Biology, Mississippi State University, 1979
  • Ph.D., Plant Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 1990
Courses Taught
Course Sections and Syllabi

Fall 2025 Sections

Spring 2025 Sections

Fall 2024 Sections

Spring 2024 Sections

Fall 2023 Sections

Summer 2023 Sections

Spring 2023 Sections

Fall 2022 Sections

Summer 2022 Sections

Spring 2022 Sections

Fall 2021 Sections

Summer 2021 Sections

Spring 2021 Sections

Fall 2020 Sections

Publication List

Morgan, D. R., J. R. Morgan, and J. Wasdin. 2020. Moss communities of xeric calcareous habitats in the southeatern United States: An assessment of compositional variation and distance decay. The Bryologist 123: 396-411.

Saunders, T. N. and D. R. Morgan. 2019. The vascular flora of Snake Creek Gorge in the Georgia Piedmont. Castaneea 84: 53-69.

Morgan, D. R., L. Krstec, and R. Korn. 2016. Variation in moss floras of granite outcrops in the southern Piedmont, eastern U.S.A. The Bryologist 116: 16-28. [View Publication (DOC)]

Morgan, D. R. and B. Holland. 2012. Systematics of Symphyotrichinae: Disagreements between two nuclear regions suggest a complex evolutionary history. Systematic Botany 37: 818-832.

Morgan, D. R. 2012. Arida, Dieteria, Machaeranthera, and Xanthisma. Pp 246, 300-302, 378, and 442-443 in The Jepson Manual: Vascular Plants of California, second edition. Eds. B. G. Baldwin, D. H. Goldman, D. J. Keil, R. Patterson, T. J. Rosatti, and D. H

Morgan, D. R., R.-L. Korn, and S. L. Mugleston. 2009. Insights into reticulate evolution in Machaerantherinae (Asteraceae: Astereae): 5S ribosomal RNA spacer variation, estimating support for incongruence, and constructing reticulate phylogenies. American

Potter, D., T. Eriksson, R. C. Evans, S. Oh, J. E. Smedmark, D. R. Morgan, M. Kerr, K. R. Robertson, M. Arsenault, T. A. Dickinson and C. S. Campbell. 2007. Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. Plant Systematics and Evolution 266: 5-43.

Campbell, C. S., R. C. Evans, D. R. Morgan, T. A. Dickinson and M. P. Arsenault. 2007. Phylogeny of subtribe Pyrinae (formerly the Maloideae, Rosaceae): Limited resolution of a complex evolutionary history. Plant Systematics and Evolution 266: 119-145.

Morgan, D. R. 2006. Dieteria and Psilactis. Pp 395-401 and 462-464 in Flora of North America. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 6: Asteraceae, part 2. Eds. Flora of North America Editorial Committee. New York: Oxford University Press.

Morgan, D. R. and R. L. Hartman. 2006. Machaeranthera. Pp 394-395 in Flora of North America. Vol. 20. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 6: Asteraceae, part 2. Eds. Flora of North America Editorial Committee. New York: Oxford University Press.

Morgan, D. R. and R. L. Hartman. 2003. A synopsis of Machaeranthera (Asteraceae), with recognition of segregate genera. Sida Contributions to Botany 20: 1387-1416.

Morgan, D. R. 2003. nrDNA external transcribed spacer (ETS) sequence data, reticulate evolution, and the systematics of Machaeranthera (Asteraceae). Systematic Botany 28: 179-190.

Morgan, D. R. 1997. Reticulate evolution in Machaeranthera (Asteraceae). Systematic Botany 22: 599-615.

Morgan, D. R. 1997. Decay analysis of large sets of phylogenetic data. Taxon 46: 509-517.

Lane, M. A., D. R. Morgan, Y. Suh, B. B. Simpson and R. K. Jansen. 1996. Relationships of North American genera of Astereae, based on chloroplast DNA restriction site data. Pp 49-77 in Proceedings of the International Compositae Conference, 1994, eds.