Felipe Zapata

Felipe Zapata is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research focuses on evolutionary biology, plant biology, plant systematics, and tropical biology. Zapata's work explores evolutionary processes that generate biodiversity across phylogenetic, spatial, and temporal scales. He is also the Co-Director of the Center for Tropical Research. His recent courses include Plant Diversity and Evolution and Urban Biology in LA. Zapata's research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Heredity, Plant Direct, and Systematic Biology.

Felipe Zapata is an evolutionary biologist at the University of California, Los Angeles, whose research focuses on evolutionary relationships and diversification patterns in various taxa. His work includes phylogenomic analyses of cnidarians, gastropods, and siphonophores, as well as studies on plant ontologies and species delimitation. Zapata explores the interplay between genetic, morphological, and environmental factors in shaping evolutionary processes, particularly in neotropical rain forests and intercontinental connectivity. His research also addresses the challenges of using phenotypic data for species delimitation and the role of natural selection in maintaining species boundaries despite hybridization. Through these studies, Zapata contributes to understanding the genomic and ecological drivers of biodiversity.